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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

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TABLE  OF  CONTENTS, 


PART  I.— CHAP.  I. 

Introductory  Conversation.  Preceding  Voyagers.  Tw« 
Ships,  tiie  Hecla  and  the  Griper,  (itted  out,  in  1819, 
under  the  command  of  Captain  Parry.  They  set  out 
in  April.  Difficult  navigation  of  Pavis's  Streight  and 
Baffin's  Bay.  A  Herd  ofWalrusses.  The  Ice  gradu- 
ally disappears  as  they  enter  Sir  James  Lancaster's 
Sound.  Magnificent  View  of  Byan  Martin  Mountains 
and  Possession  Mount.  Description  of  the  "  Crow's 
Nest."  Enter  the  Polar  Sea  by  Maxwell  Bay.  Sport 
with  White  Whales.  Their  singing  resembling  Mu- 
sical Glasses.  Ice  Blink.  Stopped  by  ice.  Reach 
Melville  Island,  and  anchor  in  the  Bay  of  the  Hecla 
and  of  the  Griper ......P.  13 — 24. 


CHAP.  II. 


X'4 


Amusements  on  Shore.  Shooting  and  Hunting.  Mr. 
Fife's  Adventure  on  shore.  Dangerous  position  of 
the  ships.  The  Griper  driven  on  shore.  Lieutenant 
Liddon's  illness  and  firmness.  Sailors  cut  a  Canal, 
and  anchor  in  Winter  Harbour  on  Sunday  afternoon, 
at  the  latter  end  of  the  month  of  September.  P.  24— SO 

dhAP.  m. 

Preparations  made  in  the  ships  for  passing  the  winter. 
Healthy  state  of  the  crew.  Diet  and  dress  of  the  Men. 
They  prepare  a  Theatre ;  Lieut.  Beechy,  Stage-mas- 
ter.   Observatory  built.    Rein-deer  migrate  in  Octo- 


U-u 


VI  CONTENTS. 

ber.  Wolves  and  Foxes  left.  Large  white  Bear. 
Cold  very  great.  Adventure  of  John  Pearson.  Ex- 
traordinary effects  of  Cold.  A  herd  of  deer  met.  Sa- 
{[acity  of  Leader.  Ice  round  the  Ships  cut  away.  Take 
eave  of  the  Sun  4lh  of  November.  Too  foggy  to  see 
it.  Stars  visible  soon  after  Noon  in  the  middle  of  No- 
vember. Aurora  Borealis  visible,  but  not  equal  to 
that  seen  in  the  Atlantic.  Ice  freezes  from  three  to 
five  inches  every  day.  Lemon  juice  bursts  the  bottles. 
The  shortest  Day.  Occupation  of  Sailors  during  the 
Winter.     Christnws  Day P.  30—40. 

CHAP.  IV. 

Scurvy.  Salad-beds.  Brilliant  appearance  of  Aurora 
Borealis.  Light  re-appears  the  latter  end  of  January, 
and  the  Stars  are  no  longer  visible  at  Noon.  The  Sun 
seen  again  on  February  3,  20  Minutes  before  Noon. 
Work  by  Day-light  the  middle  of  the  month.  Stones 
collected  to  form  ballasts  Frost  bites.  Delight  of  the 
Men  when  the  frost  gives  way.  The  house  on  Shore 
rebuilt.  THeatre  closed.  Returning  summer.  The 
Musk-Ox,  Rein-deer,  and  Ptarmigan  re-appear.  Shoot- 
ing excursion.  Snow  Blindness..  The  ships  launched 
and  examined.  Rain  falls.  Ivory  gulls  seen.  P.  40 — 47 

CHAP.  V. 

Land  journey  across  Melville  Isle.  View  of  Blue  Hills. 
Find  the  Ptarmigan,  Plovers,  and  Deer.  Tame  Rein- 
Deer.  Journey  over  a  Plain  of  Snow.  Encamp  on 
June  4th.  Joy  at  finding  a  strip  of  uncovered  Land. 
Pure  Water.  Ghrouse  cooked  for  Supper.  Pursue  their 
journey  to  the  Blue  Hills.  Obliged  to  travel  by  night, 
on  account  of  Snow-blindness.  Enter  the  Blue  Hills. 
Find  many  birds,  and  Water  in  abundance.  Luxury 
•f  warm  Food.  Description  €f  Animals.  Arrive  at 
Table  Hills,  and  return  to  Winter  Harbour.  P.  47 — 53 


CfNTENTI. 


▼U 


CHAP.  VI. 

Herds  of  Deer.  Rapid  Dissolution  of  Ice  and  Fall  of 
Rain.  Hopes  of  sailing  soon,  but  despair  of  proceed^ 
ing  far  Westward.  Summer  in  Melville  Isle.  Re- 
call of  hunting-pari\es,  and  an  attempt  to  move.  Ice 
gives  way  on  the  last  day  of  July.  Leave  Winter  Har- 
bour, after  having  been  there  ten  Mcmths.  Sail  west- 
ward. Pass  the  Ice-berg  to  which  they  had  been  an- 
chored the  year  before.  Capt  Sabine  visits  a  high 
wall  of  Rock,  the  resort  of  Glaucous  Gulls,  which  are 
very  wild  and  fierce.  Black  Whale.  Musk-ox  taken. 
Ice  Floe,  42  inches  thick.  Another  attempt  to  sail 
westward.  Vexatious  delays.  A  herd  of  Musk  Oxen. 
Survey  of  western  coast  of  Baffin's  Bay.  Csiquimaux. 
Visit  them  on  Shore.  Sail  southward,  and  get  clear  of 
the  ice.  Remarks  upon  the  Voyage.  Return  home 
and  reach  the  Thames  the  third  of  October,  1820. 

P. 53--6€ 


PART  II.— CHAP.  I. 

Object  of  Captain  Franklin's  expedition  to  the  Copper- 
Mine  River.  Arrival  at  Stromness.  Detention  of 
Mr.  Back,  and  difficulty  of  procuring  Boatmen.  Ice- 
bergs. Dangerous  situation  of  the  Ships.  Reach 
Saddle-back  Island.  Loss  of  Wear.  Visit  from  the 
Esquimaux.  Coast  of  Labrador.  The  Eddystone 
leaves  them.  Cross  Hudson's  Bay.  Find  the  Wear. 
York  Factory.  Preparations  for  visiting  the  Interior. 
Melancholy  story  of  an  Indian  Family.  Steel  River. 
Difficulty  and  danger  in  navigating  the  Rupids  in  Hill 
River.  Skillof  the  Orkney  Seamen.  Swampy  Lake. 
Pemmican.  Woods  on  Fire.  W  hite-fall-Lake.  Bea- 
vers. L-.ike  Winnipeg.  Grand  Rapid.  The  Trav- 
ellers reach  Cumberland  House.  Pass  the  Winter 
there.  Dog  Sledges.  Christmas  and  New-year's 
Days.  Cree  Indians.  Affecting  Anecdote.  Charac- 
ter of  the  Crees.  Their  Conjurors.  One  visits  Cum- 
berland House.      Cree    Women.      Cree    Children. 


Vlll 


CONTENTS 


^ 


Manners  and  Customs  of  the  Crees.  Games  of  the  Crees. 
The  Game  of  Mitten.  The  Game  of  the  Platter. 
Game  of  the  Cross.  Tradition  of  the  Crees.  Their  Re- 
ligion. Ceremony  of  Dedication.  Their  Notions  of  a 
Future  State.  Infanticide.  Tattooing.  Musical  In- 
strument.   Seesequay P.  66 — 87 

CHAP.  II. 

The  Travellers  prepare  to  leave  Cumberland  House. 
Their  Travelling-Dresses  and  Equipage.  Wolves. 
Method  of  Catching  the  Rein-Deer.  Arrival  at  Carl- 
ton House.  Snow-Shoes.  Mr.  Back  visits  a  Stone-In- 
dian Encampment.  Character  of  these  Savages. 
Their  dress.  Cru«?lty  of  Stone  Indians.  Buffalo 
Pound.  Mode  of  Hunting  Buffaloes.  Superstitious 
Practices  of  Crees.  Description  of  Carlton  House. 
Method  of  making  Pemmican.  Captain  Frjinklin 
pursues  his  journey  to  Isle  a-la-Crosse.  Green  Lake. 
Scarcity  of  Provisions.*  Voracity  of  Canadian  Voya- 
gers. Clear  Lake.  Aurora  Borealis.  Methyge  Por- 
tage. Chipewyan  Indians.  Thumb,  the  Chief.  Mr. 
Back  draws  a  likeness  of  the  Son.  Chipewyan  Chief 
named  "  Sun."  Pierre  au  Calumet.  Anecdote  of  an 
old  Canadian.  The  end  of  a  journey  of  857  Miles. 
Pain  of  walking  in  Snow  shoes.  Pleasures  of  the  En- 
campment. Fort  Chipewyan.  Rabbits'  Heads.  Tra- 
dition concerning  the  Discovery  oi'  the  Copper-mines. 
Chipewyan's  esteem  for  their  Dogs.  Their  want  of 
Hospitality.  The  party  is  joined  by  Mr.  Hood  and 
Dr.  Richardson.  Journal  of  Mr.  Hood.  The  '*  Wdr- 
rior."  Moose-deer.  The  party  leave  (.umberland 
House  with  their  Canadian  Boatmen.  Adventure  at 
Otter  Portage.  Reach  the  Isle  a-la  Crosse.  Poverty 
of  its  few  Residents.  The  whole  Party  set  forward. 
The  Portage  of  the  Drowned.  Cross  the  Great  Slave 
Lake.  Mr.  Wentzel.  Conference  with  the  Indians. 
Dance.  Yellow  Knife  River,  or  River  of  the  Tooth- 
less Fish.  Arrive  at  their  Station  after  a  journey  of 
553  Miles.     Akaitcho's  desertioo  of  the  expedition. 

P.  87—105 


¥- 


CONTKNTS. 


ix 


CHAP.  III. 

Winter  at  Fort  Enterprize.  Keskarrah,  thfi  Tndian 
Guide,  and  "Green-Stockings,"  hi  d'iui:;ht<T.  Au- 
gustus and  Junius,  tlie  CnquinHux  Interpreters.  Ac- 
count ot  tin*  Copper,  or  Bird-Rind  Indian^.  Traditinn 
oftlie  S«|nirrel.  The  Dosr-llib  Indians.  Thnir  Dance. 
The  "  Squint- Eyed  Quarrellers  "  and  the  Sherp  In- 
clians.  Gentle  Method  of  reproving  Dogs.  Scarcity 
of  Food.  Leave  Fort  Enterprize.  Reich  Point  Lake 
and  lose  their  Way.  Terrific  Rapid.  Report  of  Es- 
quimaux at  hand.  Send  the  Interpreters.  The  Es- 
quimaux desert  their  Encampment  Dr.  Richardson's 
adventure  with  the  Wolves.  Reach  the  shores  of  the 
Polar  Sea P.  105— J 17 

CHAP.  IV. 

Embark  on  the  Polar  Sea.     Land  at  Detention  Harbour. 
Want  of  Provisions.     Musk-ox  and   Bear  killed  and 
eaten.     Encamp  at  Melville  Sound.     Determined  to 
return  to  the  Arctic  Sound.  Shortness  of  the  Surcmer. 
Leave  Turn-Again  Point.     Hunger  of  the  Voyagers. 
Hood's  River.     English  Flag  planted.     Misfortunes 
of  the  Voyage  up  the  River.     Captain  Franklin's  Ill- 
ness.    Loss  of  the  largest  Canoe.     Tripe-de-Roche. 
Dreadful  state  of  Famine.     Danger  of  Dr.  Richard- 
son in  attempting  to  cross  the  River.     Extreme  Cold. 
Kill  some  Deer.     Greediness  of  the  Canadians.     De- 
vour a  putrid  Deer.     The  Party  divide.     INI r.  Hood's 
Sufferings.     Dr.  Richardson  slJiys  with  him.     Captain 
Franklin  reaches  Fort  Enterprize,  but  finds  no  Provi- 
sions.     Their   Wretchedness.     Dr.  Richardson  and 
Hepburn  join  them.    Sad  Story.    Death  of  Mr.  Hood, 
of  Perrault,   Fontano,  and  Michael.     Arrival  of  In- 
dians with  Food.     Leave  Fort  Enterprize.     Letters 
from   England.      Conduct  of   Akaitchn.     Join  Mr. 
Back  at  Moose-deer  Island.     Mr.  Back's  Narrative. 
Return  to  England , . .  .P.  117—140 


X  CONTENTSJ  * 

PART  III.— CHAP.  T. 

Uncle  Richard's  Return  from  Voyage  to  the  North  Pole 
with  Ciptains  Parry  and  Lyon.  Begins  his  Hist)ry. 
Leaves  London  May  1821.  Tedious  Voyage.  Dutch 
Crew.  Reach  Savage  Islands.  Visit  from  th<^  Esqui- 
maux. 0.>miaks,  or  Luggag**- Boats.  Old  Women. 
Love  of  dancing.  Esquimaux  of  Nottingham  [slands. 
Anchor  in  Frozen  Strait.  First  traces  of  Esquimaux. 
Captain  Parry  explores  Inlet.  Arctic  Fox.  Christ- 
mas Day.  Amusement  afforded  by  School.  Brilliant 
display  of  Aurora  Borealis.     Bears.... P.  140 — j52. 

CHAP.  IL 

Arrival  of  an  Esquimaux.  Visit  their  Snow-Huts  A  Par- 
ty visit  the  Ships.  Peculiar  Manners.  Description 
of  Huts.  Children  *well-mannered.  Mrs.  Kettle. 
Tattooing.  Dogs.  Persons  and  Dress  of  Esquimaux 
Men  and  Women.  Description  of  Children.  Occu- 
pation of  3Ien  and  Women ..P.  152 — 165  ^' 

CHAP.  in.        ^ 

Description  of  Esquimaux  Repast.  Cookery.  Anec- 
dote of  a  poor  Idiot  Boy.  Ayokitt's  Visit  to  the  Ca- 
bin. Wolves  troblesome.  Wolf-trap.  Mr.  Richard's 
Battle  with  the  Wolf.  Improvidence  of  Esquimaux. 
Old  Kettle.  Greediness  of  Children.  Visit  from  two  , 
Esquimaux  Ladies.  Kettle  a  Thief.  Preparations  for 
Sailing.  Severe  Cold.  Departure  of  Esquimaux. 
Parting  Presents.  First  Flower  seen.  Canal  com- 
pleted.    Rural  Fete P.  165—182 

CHAP.  IV. 

Danger  to  the  Hccla  from  the  Tides.  Leave  Winter  Isle. 
Sail  Northwards.  Reach  Igloolik.  Land  and  find 
Esquimaux.  Walrus-skin  Tents.  Hospitality.  Jour- 
ney to  Esquimaux  village  with  Toolemak.  Sledge 
drawn  by  Dogs.  Ooyarra,  the  Fisherman.  New  way 
of  making  a  Fire.  Esquim;iux  Ball.  Dance  of  No- 
ses.    The  Ship  sails  farther  North.     Hopes  of  enter- 


t 


t 


CONTENTS. 


XI 


ing  the  Polar  Sea.  Beset  with  Ice.  Beturn  and  an- 
chor at  Iglolik.  Description  of  Bone  Huts.  Annat- 
kos,  or  Conjurors  Wiult  r  sf  is  in.  Visits  from  some 
Winler-lsif  i  squiniiiux.  Toolemak's  Dream.  Mira- 
culous Curr  of  Li;njbagG.  Ksquiniaux  Politeness. 
Second  Christnuts  Vuy.  Anecdotes  of  Beais.  Death 
of  Takk.;likkita's  Wife  and  Child.  Esquimaux  Fu- 
neral. Illness  ot  Widow  Ka^lia.  Her  Discontent 
and  Ingratitude.  Inattention  of  Esquimaux  tu  their 
Sick.  Esquimaux  VilltJj.'v.  Ice  Huts  nulted  away. 
Esquiipaux  Coquelttf  t^quimaux  Dandy.  Esqui- 
maux Murders.  Ships  leav^  Ijilolik.  Reach  Winter 
Isle.  Visit  the  Shoie.  Heiurn  to  England.  Hospi- 
table Reception  at  Lerwick P.  182 — 207 


PART  IV.— CHAP.  I.      i      u. 

Motives    of   Captain   Ccuhrane's    Journey   to    Siberia. 
Leaves  Er£rl{«j)d.     Walks  through  France  and  Germa- 
ny*    Visits  Paris,  Nancy,  Metz,  trankfort.     Reaches 
St.    Petersburg       Leaves   it      Reflections.     Robbers. 
Novgorod.     Moscow.    Peasantry.     Gets  a  Drubbing. 
Enters  Tartary      Kazan.     St.  Peter's  and  St.  PauFs. 
Inhabitants  oj  Perm     Retiecticns  on  rt  aching  Siberia. 
Last  Eun»pean  Residence.     Strawberries.     Enter  A- 
sia      Cross  the  l-rals.  Reach  tkaiherinebourg-  Hos- 
pitality.   G.iid   Mires       ToboKvk.  Tartar     Women. 
Dwellings.    Irtish.     Kalmucks,   Cucumbers  and  Me- 
lons.  Crosses  the  Irtish.    Beautiful  Scenery.    Russian 
Boundary.  ISot  allowed  to  entei  China.  Silver  Mines 
at   Barnaoule.     Ofler  of  accompanying  t^x;<edition. — 
Tomsk.  Cossack  Aiode  of  Correction.  Arrives  at  Ir- 
kutsk  P.  207— 221 

CHAPTER,  n. 

Leaves  Irkutsk  with  Cossfck.     Cruelty  of  Cossack.  Ice 

at  Vitiim.     Ton^'ousians.    Yakutsk.  Preparations  for 

Journey    Mr.   Minitsky.  Tea  Party.     Dinner  Party. 

Leaves  Yakutsk.  SUdge  travelling  in  the  Lena.  Hospi- 


!, 


i. 


■•^p 


Xll 


CONTEI^TS. 


tality  of  the  Yakuti.  Mountainous  Pass.  Appetite  of 
Yakuti  child.  Siberian  Fisherman.  Mountain  Scenery. 
Crosses  and  Horse-Hair.  Half-Way  House.  Snow 
Blindness.  Arrives  ^orth  of  the  Arctic  Circle.  En- 
glish Priest.  Sredna  Kolymsk.  Dog  Travelling. 
Shores  of  Frozen  Sea,  Baron  Wrangel.  ^iew-Ytar's 
Gifts.  Ice-Hill.  Aurora  Borealis.  Mishney  Kolymsk. 
Herrings.  Furs.  Bani.shed  people.  Baptizing.  The 
Fair.      Chess.     Traditions.     Cookie.    P.  221—233 

CHAP.ni. 

Leaves  the  Kolma.  Returns  to  Sredna.  Yakuti  Scrc«- 
rer.  Yakuti  Prince.  Set  out  with  Rein-Deer.  Ltaves 
Omekon.  Okota  Woods  on  Fire.  Beaches ('kotsk. 
Reaons  for  returning  to  Furope.  Proceeds  to  Kams- 
chatka.  Law  relating  to  Snow.  Tour  through  the 
Peninsula  Purgas.  Fine  Country.  Volcano.  Toion. 
General  Remarks.     Marriage P.  233 — 243 

CHAP.  IV. 

Leaves  Karoschalka  with  Viis  W  ife.  Reach  Okotsk.  Wild 
Berries.  W^inier  in  September.  Panoramic  View. — 
Difficulty  of  travelling.  Accounts  of  the  Yakuti.  Ya- 
kutsk. Parhelia.  Sables  in  Vittim.  Missionaries. 
Mines.  Hot  Baths.  Chinese  1  own.  Atanufacto- 
ries  at  Irkutsk.  Flogging  Peasants.  Ivory  Chess- 
men. Tobolsk.  Ekatherinebourg.  Kazan.  Enter 
Rusia.     Conclusion P.  243— 25S 


'.r^i 


'    ,  ■'      \ 


NORTHBRSr  RBOXONS. 


PART  I. 


CHAPTER  I. 

"  Come,  Charks,  put  the  Hecla  up  into  her 
boat-house,  and  come  and  see  the  real  sailor,  for 
uncle  Richard  is  returned,"  said  Tom  to  his  bro- 
ther. 

**  Uncle  Richard !  did  you  say,  and  where  has 
he  left  his  ship  ?  Well  but  wait,  Ton^,  till  I  have 
stowed  my  ship  safely,  and  I  will  be  with  you  in  ft 
minute  to  hear  all  about  it."  ||^ 

Tom  and  Charles  were  both  destined  to  Be  sail- 
ors ;  Tom  had  already  made  one  short  voyage  as 
midshipman,  and  Charles  would  soon  be  old  enough 
to  do  the  same. 

Ha^v  delighted  were  they,  therefore,  to  see  their 
favourite  uncle  come  home,  and  how  many  ques- 
tions had  they  to  ask  about  the  real  Hecla  audits 
adventurous  crew,  who  ,  as  their  father  had  told 
them,  had  been  for  many  months  surrounded  by 
ice  and  by  perpetual  winter  in  the  regions  of  the 
•\orth  Pole.  They  asked  him  so  many  questions, 
that  to  satisfy  the  curiosity  of  these  two  boys  was 
exceedingly  difficult ;  and  therefore  uncle  Richard, 
who,  like  most  sailors,  was  very  good-natured,  of- 
fered to  enliven  the  long  December  evenings  by  re^ 

2 


•v 


I 


14 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


lating  to  them,  in  regular  order,  all  the  adventures* 
which  had  occurred  during  his  voyage. 

The  whole  family  assembled  in  the  evening  to 
hear  uncle  Richard,  but  none  listened  with  deeper 
interest  than  Tom  and  Charles,  who  fixed  their 
eyes  upon  their  uncle  as  he  began  the  following 
narrative  : 

"  I  need  not  tell  you,  my  boys,  how  desirable  a 
thing  it  has  been  long  considered,  to  discover  a 
north-west  passage  to  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

"In  1818,  Captain  Ross  had  explored  Baffin's  ' 
Bay  with  a  view  to  this  object ;  but  the  lateness  of 
the  season  obliged  him  to  return  without  effecting 
much. 

**  A  fresh  expedition  was  planned  for  this  pur- 
pose in  the  year  1819,  and  two  ships. were  fitted 
out.  The  Hecla,  Charles,  somewhat  larger  than 
yonder  ship  of  your  own^  building,  which  I  saw 
moored  up  in  the  boat-house  just  now,  was  com- 
manded by  Captain  Parry ;  and  the  Griper,  which 
was  ag|un-brig  of  smaller  dimensions,  was  com- 
manded by  Lieutenant  Liddon.  Both  ships  toget  h- 
er  contained  ninety-four  men,  all  of  us,  you  may 
be  sure,  proud  of  serving  in  an  expedition  which 
might  be  of  service  to  our  country.  It  required  a 
stout  heart,  Charles,  for  we  had  a  perilous  enter- 
prize  in  view;  the  sailors,  however,  were  cheered 
by  the  promise  of  double  pay,  and  ourselves  by  the 
thoughts  of  such  happy  moments  as  these,  when, 
our  dangers  being  all  over,  we  should  be  welcomed 
home  again,  and  be  relating  our  exploits  to  our 
friends. 

"  I  must  begin  by  telling  you  what  provision  was 
made  for  our  comforts  in  the  regions  of  ice  and 
snow  to  which  we  were  bound,  and  where  we 
might  possibly  be  shut  up  for  many  a  winter.  Both 


I  f 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


15 


sliipshad  been  taken  into  dock  some  time  previous- 
ly to  our  departure,  and  made  as  strong  as  possible, 
and  completely  furnished  with  provisions  for  two 
years ;  warm  clothing  of  every  kind  was  supplied, 
together  with  a  wolf's  skin  blanket  for  each  man ; 
and  abundance  of  coals,  which  were  stowed  instead 
of  ballast. 

*'  We  were  all  ready  by  April,  but  the  wind 
being  adverse,  we  were  obliged  to  be  taken  in  tow 
by  a  steam-boat  to  Northfleet,  and  on  the  20th  of 
May  we  found  ourselves  rounding  the  northern 
point  of  the  Orkney  Islands  ;  from  thence  you  may 
follow  us  on  the  map  to  Cape  Farewell  in  Green- 
land, which  we  spied  at  a  great  distance  on  the 
15th  of  June.  On  the  18th  we  entered  Davis's 
Strftit,  and  fell  in  with  the  first  stream  of  ice, 
through  which  we  towed  till  our  ships  were  im- 
moveably  beset." 

"  What  do  yo  mean  by  that,  uncle?"  asked 
Charles. 

"  Why,  Charles,  they  were  literally  stuck  fast 
by  ice  ;  little  did  you  think,  in  the  middle  of  the 
summer  before  last,  while  you  were  lying  on  the 
sunny  bank  near  the  pool,  watching  your  own  ship 
Hecla  with  her  petty  sails,  that  I  was  stepping 
down  the  side  of  the  real  one  upon  a  land  of  ice. 
In  fact,  we  were  now  in  a  truly  desolate  situation, 
and  were  for  some  days  drifted  about  at  the  mercy 
of  these  shoals  of  ice.  At  last  we  spied  land,  and 
after  eight  hours'  very  hard  labour,  we  succeeded 
in  getting  both  ships  into  clear  water.  But  picture 
io  yourself  a  huge  rock  of  frozen  snow  and  ice  tow- 
ering above  our  heads,  and  threatening  our  poor 
ships  with  instantaneous  destruction  ;  and  when  ( 
tell  you  that  I  counted  fifty  of  those  icebergs,  as 
4hey  are  called,  in  one  day,  you  will  have  sonje 


"'^1 


Ml 


■II 


I.         ' 


16 


NORTIlLIiN    REGION?. 


idea  of  our  sensations.  The  swell  of  the  sea  dash- 
ing the  loose  ice  against  these  bergs  with  a  tre- 
mendous force,  sometimes  threw  up  a  spray  more 
than  a  hundred  feet  above  them  ;  and  being  ac- 
companied by  a  noise  resembling  thunder,  pre- 
sented a  scene  of  terrific  grandeur. 

"  Our  only  sport,  if  sport  it  could  be  called,  was 
in  chasing  a  heap  of  walruses,  which  lay  huddled 
together  on  a  piece  of  ice  like  pigs.  These  animals 
are  stupidly  tame.  They  allowed  our  boats  to  ap- 
proach quite  near  to  them  without  ajttempting  to 
move ;  but  when  once  disturbed,  they  dashed  into 
the  water  with  the  greatest  confusion.  I  remarked 
that  walruses  are  amazingly  diffieult  to  kill :  we 
struck  one  of  them  with  our  harpoons,  the  iron  barb 
of  which,  as  we  afterwards  found,  had  enter(t  the 
heart,  and  yet  it  struggled  so  violently  for  ten  mi- 
nutes as  to  move  the  boat  twenty  or  thirty  yards 
along  with  it. 

"  From  the  fat  of  this  animal  we  laid  in  a  win- 
ter's supply  of  oil  for  our  lamps. 

"  We  were  now  in  Baffin's  Bay,  and  though  we 
got  on  tolerably  well,  yet  our  progress  was  much 
impeded  by  thick  fogs,  which  often,  indeed,  placed 
us  in  considerable  danger.  One  day  we  perceived 
that  a  current  was  drifting  us  towards  an  iceberg 
one  hundred  and  forty  feet  high,  while  a  floe  or 
sheet  of  ice  threatened  to  enclose  us  on  the  other 
side ;  we  worked  very  hard  to  clear  the  berg, 
which  we  did  just  a  few  minutes  before  the  floe 
dashed  against  it,  and  surrounded  it  on  all  sides. 

**  Sometimes  we  were  cheered  by  the  sight  of  a 
stream  of  clear  water  between  the  ice,  and  then  we 
sailed  on  swiftly ;  and  sometimes  we  sawed  away 
the  ice  that  stood  in  our  way,  and  joyous  work  there 
was  among  the  sailors  when  we  secwed  our  ships  in 


^••i^ 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


1 


a  •  natural  dock,'  as  they  called  it,  which  was  a 
kind  of  hollow  or  bay  in  a  field  of  ice :  our  Captain, 
on  those  occasions,  ordered  us  an  extra  allowance 
of  meat  and  spirits,  and  all  hands  were  allowed  to 
rest. 

"  You  must  not  suppose  these  fields  of  ice  to 
have  resembled  the  ice  which  covers  your  pool  in 
winter,  Charles  ;  I  have  seen  some  of  them  three 
times  your  height  in  thickness  and  many  miles  in 
extent.  Indeed  it  was  well  we  had  strong  ships, 
for  they  had  to  encounter  severe  blows  in  their 
course  through  Baffin's  Bay.  However,  we  got 
on  pretty  well  in  spite  of  all  difficulties,  and  steered 
our  course,  though  somewhat*  crookedly,  north- 
west towards  Sir  James  Lancaster's  Sound." 

Tom.  Now,  uncle  please  to  stop  while  I  look 
at  the  map  for  this  sound. 

"  You  will  soon  find  it,  my  boy,"  said  uncle 
Richard,  "  for  until  this  voyage  of  ours  there  was 
not  much  known  of  the  world  beyond  it.  Captain 
Parry  had  commanded  one  of  the  ships  in  the  last 
year's  expedition,  and  he  felt  confident  that  if  he 
could  get  through  these  shoals  of  ice  in  the  middle 
of  Baffin's  Bay,  we  should  get  two  months  of  good 
flailing  in  a  clear  open  sea.  The  event  proved  that 
he  was  right,  for  our  well-built  sturdy  vessels,  as- 
sisted by  our  commander's  skill  and  perseverance 
(for  a  sailor  can  do  nothing  without  perseverance, 
Charles,)  got  us  through  this  barrier  of  ice,  which 
was  eighty  miles  across,  in  a  season  in  which  no 
one  had  ever  attempted  it  before. 

**  Towards  the  latter  end  of  July  the  ice  gradu- 
ally disappeared,  and  we  were  sailing  in  an  open 
sea,  with  nothing  to  stop  our  progress  but  our  con' 

sort  the  Griper,  who  was  rather  tardy  in  her  mo- 

^  2*  __    , 


/ 


if 


18 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


tions;  but,  notwithstanding  that,  \vc  soon  had  a  sight 
of  the  high  lands  about  Possession  Bay,  with  a  dis- 
tant view  of  the  magnificent  Byam  Martin  moun- 
tains. Every  ono  was  on  deck  to  look  at  the  flag- 
staff on  Possession  Mount,  which  had  been  erected 
in  the  former  expedition,  and  to  hail  it  as  an  old 
acquaintance ;  a  few  of  us  landed^  and  strolled  foi 
three  or  four  miles  up  the  country, to  pass  away  the 
time,  while  the  Griper  was  coming  up.  We  could 
not,  however,  find  a  single  tree,  or  any  signs  of  hu- 
man beings ;  and  after  some  few  observations  we 
returned  to  our  ships,  and  set  sail  for  the  sound. 

**  As  it  was  the  main  object  of  our  expedition 
very  carefully  to  explore  this  sound,  and  if  no  pas- 
sage could  be  found  this  way,  to  go  farther  north ; 
and  as  the  Griper  continued  to  detain  us  so  much. 
Captain  Parry  determined  to  go  on  without  her. 
and  accordingly,  after  leaving  instructions  with 
Captain  Liddon  where  to  meet  again  in  case  of 
separation,  the  liecla  added  fresh  sail  and  flew 
along,  and  soon  came  in  sight  of  the  northern 
shore  of  the  sound.     - 

**  Now  look  at  this  little  drawing  I  made  on  the 
spot;  follow  the  Uecla,  Charles,  along  this  line 
which  marks  her  course,  and  if  you  could  have 
looked  on  her  deck  that  afternoon,  you  would  liave 
beheld  ofHcers  and  men  crowding  with  breathless 
anxiety  in  their  looks,  and  listening  with  eager- 
ness to  the  various  repoi'ts  from  the  crow's  nest." 

"The  crow's  nest,  uncle?"  cried  Charles,  >vith 
some  impatience,  for  he  had  begun  to  be  so  much 
interested  that  he  was  vexed  to  be  interrupted  bt 
an  expression  which  he  could  not  understand. 

"Indeed,  Charles,  you  must  excuse  an  old  saiH 
or  like  me  for  making  use  of  sea-phrases  now  and 
4 hen,  but  I  am  willing  enough  to  explain  them^ 


-■'  1- 


•4i. 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


10 


n  mouii- 


The  crow's  nest  is  a  little  round-house  like  a  tub, 
placed  at  the  mast's  head,  in  which  a  man  sits,  who 
is  called  the  look-out  man,  whose  business  it  is  to 
guide  the  ship  through  the  ice,  or  to  give  notice  ol* 
whatever  objects  he  may  spy.  We  had  a  distant 
glimpse  of  Cape  Castlereagh,  which  was  situated 
on  the  south  of  the  sound  ;  and  after  that  we  saile^l 
briskly  along  till  midnight,  and  still  found  no  land 
fjo  impede  our  course  down  this  magnificent  inlet. 
Our  hopes  ran  high.  We  passed  a  large  bay, 
which  we  christened  Croker's  Bay ;  and  indeed 
we  had  busy  work  in  providing  names  for  every 
new  cape  and  island,  which  we  were  now  hourly 
discovering.  ,/, 

"  But  when  I  talk  of  land,  you  must  not  think 
qf  green  fields,  hedges,  and  trees  :  you  must  pic- 
ture to  yourselves  abrupt  and  craggy  rocks  top- 
ped with  snow,risingboldly  fromthesea,  in  every 
variety  of  form  and  shape.  ♦/^ 

"  At  last  we  came  to  a  cape  which  we  named 
Capo  Fellfoot,  and  which  we  thought  terminated 
the  coast ;  and  as  it  was  very  foggy,  and  wo  couM 
not  see  far,  w^e  began  to  flatter  ourselves  that  we 
had  really  entered  the  Polar  Sea.  But  a  report  of 
land  again  damped  our  hopes,  a^  it  seemed  this 
was  only  a  bay  which  we  had  been  passing.  Cap- 
tain Parry  named  this  Maxwell  Bay. 

"  As  the  weather  w  as  uow  very  calm  and  thick,, 
we  amused  ourselves  with  endeavouring  to  kill 
some  of  the  white  whales,  which  were  swimming  in 
numbers  about  the  isbips ;  but  they  were  cunning, 
and  would  not  permit  a  boat  to  come  near  them 
without  diving.  J  was  near  enough,  however,  ta 
h^r  one  sing.  You  may  laugh,  Charles,  but  I  can 
assure  you  it  made  a  sound  something  like  the 
jiiusicc^l  gla^gQg,  wlren  you  qlum^ily  {Attempt  to  pftiy 


r'l 


"""nfriM 


I  i 


20 


NORTIIEfRN   REGIONS. 


ihcDi;  and,  strange  to  say,  I  heard  it  most  dis-« 
tinctly  while  it  was  swimming  directly  under  the 
boat  that  I  was  in. 

"  We  saw  here  too  some  narwhals,  or  what 
the  sailors  call  the  sea-unicorn." 

"  You  have  not  told  us,"  said  Tom,  "  what  was 
become  of  your  consort  the  Griper,  uncle,  whom 
you  left  behind  you,  at  the  entrance  of  Sir  James 
Jiancaster*s  Sound." 

**  Oh,  the  Griper  had  overtaken  us ;  indeed  it 
imd  made  better  speed,  and  had  not  been  out  of 
sight  of  its  protector,  the  Hecla,  for  many  days 
together. 

**  Well  now,  my  boys,  you  have  seen  us  advance, 
by  the  middle  of  August,  as  far  as  Maxwell  Bay  ; 
imagine  us  all  fulKof  the  hopes  of  making  disco- 
veries, which  we  flattered  ourselves  would  im- 
mortalize our  namesf  when  all  at  once  we  found 
our  progress  stopped  by  continued  floes  of  ice, 
which  an  ice-blink  warned  us  it  would  be  useless 
to  attempt  to  cut  through." 

"  What  is  that,  uncle  f"  asked  Tom.    ' !. 

''  An  ice-blink  is  a  bright  light  in  the  atmo* 
sphere,  which  shows  that  you  are  approaching 
ice,  or  land  covered  with  snow.     - 

**  Well,  we  steered  our  course  southward,  to 
escape  from  being  surrounded  by  the  ice,  which 
a  current  was  driving  rapidly  towards  us,  and  we 
soon  came  in  sight  of  some  islands,  which  we  na- 
med *  Prince  Leopold's  Isles;'  we  then  entered  a 
grand  inlet  to  the  south  of  the  sound,  and  sailed  a 
distance  of  120  miles  down  it.  The  shores  appear- 
ed to  us  to  be  formed  by  islands  on  each  side  of  it, 
and  at  some  future  time  it  might  be  thought  worth 
while  to  explore  it,  with  a  view  to  find  an  opening 
into  Hudson's  Bay:  but  as  our  present  object  was 


'.V  • 


'  f 


NOUTIIERN'    REGIONS. 


21 


t!o  »o  westward,  and  as  Captain  Parry  hoped  thaj  .', 
by  this  time  the  ice  in  the  sound  would  have  clea^H?^ 
ed  itself  off,  we  made  what  expedition  we  coijfl^^'  * 
northward  again.  As  we  could  not,  however,  pror 
ceed  rapidly,  we  determined  to  explore  the  eastern 
coast  of  this  inlet,  which  we  christened  '  Prince 
llegcnt's'Inlet/  Cape  Kater,  you  perceive,  is  the 
southern  extremity  of  our  visit ;  we  sheltered  along 
some  cliffs  in  a  beautiful  little  bay,  to  which  w*^ 
gave  the  name  of  *  Port  Bowers.'  These  cliff's' 
look  like  ruined  towers  and  battlements,  and  frag- 
ments of  the  rocks  were  constantly  tumbling  one 
upon  another.  At  last  we  came  to  the  eastern  ex- 
tremity, which  we  called  *  Cape  York,'  in  honour 
of  the  Duke  of  York,  and  took  our  leave  of  the  in- 
let, after  leaving  traces  of  many  of  our  friends,  by 
naming  points  and  bays  after  them." 

"  Indeed,  uncle,"  exclaimed  Charles,  "  I  must 
go  with  you  on  your  next  voyage,  for  I  think  it 
must  be  delightful  to  find  out  new  nlaces  and  to 
give  them  names."  ^ 

*'  Well,  wait,  my  little  fellow,  till  I  have  finished 
my  history  before  you  decide  upon  accompanying- 
Captain  Parry  in  his  next  voyage.  At  the  time  1 
am  now  speaking  of,  it  was  certainly  very  exhilar- 
ating, and  you  will  enter  into  the  delight  of  the  crew, 
on  the  certainty  we  all  felt  that  we  had  at  length 
disentangled  ourselves  of  the  land  which  forms  the 
western  side  of  Baffin's  Bay,  and  that,  in  fiict,  we 
bad  actually  entered  the  Polar  Sea.  Impressed 
with  the  hope  that  we  had  passed  from  one  sea  to 
another,  our  Captain  gave  the  name  of  Barrow's 
Strait  to  the  opening  through  which  we  had  made  a 
passage  from  Baffin's  Bay  to  Wellington  Channel, 
in  honour  of  Mr.  Barrow,  Secretary  to  the  Admi- 
ralty, who  has  done  so  much  in  promoting  north^tu 


*>•> 


NORTHERN    REGIONS. 


iliscovery.  It  was  now  the  middle  of  August,  wo 
had  six  good  navigable  weeks  before  us,  our  ship^ 
had  suffered  no  injury,  we  liad  plenty  of  provisions, 
a  navigable  sea,  and  a  crew  in  high  health  and  spi-^ 
rits,  and  resolute  to  do  all  in  their  power  to  accom- 
plish the  object  of  the  expedition.  Now  you,  Tom, 
who  arc  so  intently  studying  the  map,  place  your 
finger  upon  Behring*s  Straits  and  Fly  Cape,  and 
draw  it  carefully  along  to  the  north-west  corner  of 
the  newly-discovered  Barrow's  Strait.  Observe 
our  ships,  which  arc  stationed  in  this  corner,  now 
steering  their  course  in  the  direction  of  this  line. 
The  wind  favoured  us;  it  is  impossible  to  conceive 
any  thing  more  animating  than  the  quick  and  un- 
interrupted run  which  our  ships  took  from  Beechy 
Island  across  to  Cape  Hotham.  Rapid  motion, 
you  know,  always  raises  the  spirits ;  for  who, 
Charles,  would  know  it  to  be  the  same  boy  listen- 
ing so  gravely  to  me  now,  who,  at  a  game  of  cricket, 
is  so  full  of  l^isterous  mirth  and  glee  ?  This  feeling 
was  much  increased  in  us  by  the  slow  and  tedious 
manner  in  which  our  navigation  had  hitherto  pro- 
ceeded in  these  seas.  Imagine  our  vexation  and 
disappointment,  then,  when  a  report  was  issued 
from  the  crow's-nest,  that  a  body  of  ice  lay  directly 
across  our  passage !  For  some  time  no  opening 
could  be  seen  in  it,  but  in  about  an  hour.  Lieuten- 
ant Beechy  discovered  one  narrow  neck,  which 
consisted  of  loose  pieces  of  ice,  instead  of  one  solid 
mass ;  beyond  which,  there  was  a  considerable 
extent  of  open  water.  We  immediately  pushed 
the  Hecla  into  this  neck,  and  after  a  quarter  of  an 
hour's  boring,  we  succeeded  in  getting  her  through 
it.  The  Griper  followed  in  the  opening  we  had 
made,  and  now  again  we  were  in  an  open  sea^ 
pursuing  our  course  westward.    We  passed  vari^ 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


i'i 


ous  islands,  the  first  of  which  wc  named  '  Lowtcr 
Isle,'  the  next  '  Younj^,'  and  the  next  'Davy  Isl- 
and.' We  had  not  a  very  distinct  view  of  tlu; 
shores  of  those  islands,  but  they  were  not  in  ge- 
neral so  much  covered  with  snow  as  we  had  ex- 
pected, nor  were  they  very  high. 

**  Being  once  more  stopped  by  ice,  we  landed 
for  a  while  on  a  new  island  to  the  south-east,  to 
which  we  gave  the  name  of  *  Byam  Martin  Island.' 
Here  our  ey#i  were  once  more  gladdened  by  the 
traces  of  human  beings  :  these  consisted  of  heaps 
of  stones  placed  in  a  circular  form,  which  those 
who  had  visited  those  regions  before,  knew  to  be 
the  remains  of  Esquimaux  huts.  In  vain  did  we 
look  for  any  living  beings,  rein-deers'  horns  and 
traces  of  the  musk-ox  alone  met  our  eyes. 

"  During  this  time  we  moored  our  ships  to  a 
floe,  which  afterwai'ds  became  a  common  practice 
with  us;  we  pursued  our  course  westward, .and 
soon  came  to  another  much  larger  island,  which 
appeared,  howevei*,*to  resemble  Byam  Martin 
Island  in  its  general  outline.  We  continued  a 
westerly  course,  keeping  land  in  sight,  and  naming 
every  different  point  as  we  went  on,  till  we  reach- 
ed that  degree  of  west  longitude,  by  arriving  at 
which  the  Hecla  and  the  Griper  became  entitled 
to  the  reward  of  five  thousand  pounds,  which  had 
been  promised  by  the  King,  to  be  distributed 
among  such  of  his  subjects  as  should  reach  the 
meridian  of  110  degrees,  in  latitude  74. 

"It  was  on  a'Sunda|r  that  Captain  Parry  an- 
nounced to  us  this  joyful  fact ;  and  I  shall  never 
forget  the  smile  of  honest  satisfaction  that  ap- 
peared on  the  faces  of  my  fellow-seamen. 

"  Thus  we  had  completed  one  stage  of  our  voy- 
age, and,  as  if  to  make  it  the  more  striking  to  all 


■4s< 


■24 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


of  US,  we  dropped  enchor  for  the  first  time,  since 
leaving  the  coast  of  Norfolk.  The  pendants  and 
ensigns  were  hoisted  as  soon  as  we  had  anchored, 
and  we  sailors  shouted  with  joy,  at  seeing  the  Bri- 
tish flag  wave  in  those  regions,  which  had  till  then 
been  considered  beyond  the  limits  of  the  habita- 
ble world.  But  I  must  not  omit  to  tell  you  that  this 
was  the  celebrated  Melville  Isle,  which  you  have 
heard  mc  talk  of  so  often,  and  that  the  bay  in  which 
we  anchored,  we  named  in  honou^of  our  stout 
ships,  the  'Bay  of  the  Hecla  and  the  Griper.' 


J  )> 


CHAPTER  II. 


1 


'♦However  flattering  our  success  had  been,  you 
must  remember  that  we  had^^ow  to  look  forward 
to  the  speedy  arrival  of  winter,  for  in  those  regions 
there  is  but  little  summer  you  know,  and  the  rest 
of  the  year  is  one  perpetual  night ;  consequently 
we  could  not  hope  to  do  much  more  this  season. 
The  few  dark  hours  we  began  to  experience  in  the 
night  already  gave  us  much  uneasiness,  and  the 
circumstance  that  we  found  it  necessary  to  have 
the  ships  at  those  hours  fastened  to  a  floe. 

"  But,  notwithstanding  every  impediment.  Cap- 
tain Parry  determined  upon  sailing  on  as  long  as 
he  could  through  Septenlber,  and  therefore  gave 
orders  that  every  thing  should  be  ready  when  the 
ice  would  admit  of  our  sailing  again.  As  we  were 
compelled  to  be  quiet  for  the  present,  we  amused 
ourselves  as  well  as  we  could :  a  party  of  us  took 
onr  guns  on  shore  to  beat  for  game.    We  met 


NOUTHEkiN    REGIONS. 


with  a  white  hare,  which  it  was  difficult  enough  to 
trace,  its  white  skin  resemhhng  so  much  the  colour 
of  the  snow  over  which  it  scampered.  A  ptarmigan 
and  a  few  snow-huntings  fell  to  the  lot  of  some  of 
the  hest  of  our  sportsmen,  while  I  who  am  but  a 
clumsy  hand  at  shooting,  came  home  laden  with 
two  or  three  skulls  ofthe  musk-ox,  and  a  few  rein- 
deer's horns,  the  live  animals  of  that  kind  being  no 
where  to  be  found.  One  of  our  straggling  seamen 
was  particularly  welcome  on  his  return,  for  he 
brought  with  him  a  lump  of  coal  which  he  had  pick- 
ed up,  and  which  proved  to  be  tolerably  abundant 
hereabout,  and  particularly  valuable,  from  the  cir- 
cumstance of  its  giving  a  bright  flame  when  it  burns, 
so  as  to  serve  for  the  double  purpose  of  fire  and 
candles.  Our  impatience  to  get  on  was  extreme, 
but  it  was  madness  to  think  of  moving,  and  our  un- 
easiness was  added  to  by  a  very  alarming  occur- 
rence. 3Ir.  Fife,  with  a  party  of  six  men  from 
the  Griper,  had  been  despatched  the  day  before  in 
search  of  rein-deer  and  musk-oxen,  and  had  not 
yet  returned.  As  they  had  taken  but  little  food 
witli  them,  and  as  there  had  been  a  heavy  fall  of 
snow  during  the  night,  we  were  afraid  they  had 
lost  their  way.  Lieutenant  Liddon  dispatched 
three  of  his  crew  in  search  of  them,  but  the  snow 
made  the  atmosphere  so  thick,  that  these  also  lost 
their  way,  but  they  fortunately  were  at  last  guided 
by  our  rockets  back  to  the  ships,  where  they  arriv- 
ed at  ten  at  night,  exhausted  with  hunger  and  fa- 
tigue, and  unable  to  give  any  account  ofthe  absen- 
tees. The  next  day,  at  daylight,  I  went,  by  Cap- 
tain Parry's  wish,  and  took  the  Hecla's  fore-royal- 
mast,  upon  which  I  hoisted  a  large  ensign,  and 
planted  it  upon  a  hill  four  or  five  miles  inland.  We 

3 


A 


•■jwjr 


26 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


thought  the  wanderers  could  hardly  fail  to  see  this, 
and  that  it  would  be  a  more  certain  method  of 
guiding  them  to  the  ships  than  sending  out  parties, 
which  indeed  it  would  have  been  almost  cruel  to  do; 
but  the  snow  fell  so  thick  that  this  plan  failed. 

"Another  night  passed,  therefore,  without  any 
tidings  of  the  stragglers,  and  we  were  all  anxiety 
to  know  their  fate.  ^ 

**  Next  morning  four  parties  were  despatched 
indifferent  directions,  all  carrying  with  them  pikes 
on  which  flags  were  fastened.  These  pikes  they 
put  into  the  ground  at  intervals  as  they  went  on, 
in  order  both  to  mark  the  path  by  which  they  might 
return,  and  to  warn  the  unhappy  wanderers  if  they 
came  near  them,  that  relief  was  at  hand ;  and  to 
each  pike  there  ^^s  a  bottle  fixed,  in  which  was  a 
slip  of  paper,  giving  notice  that  provisions  would 
be  met  with  at  the  large  flag-staff  on  the  hill. 

"The  whole  of  that  day  there  was  the  most 
piercing  cold  wind,  and  a  constant  drifting  snow, 
and  our  horror  was  extreme  when  we  found  the 
sun  setting  for  the  third  time  since  these  poor  fel- 
lows had  left  the  ship.  Our  joyful  feelings  may  be 
guessed  when  we  heard  the  Griper's  signal  that  her 
men,  or  some  of  them,  were  found.     Part  only  as 
yet  were  returned,  without  Fife,  and  they  told  us 
that  they  had  lost  their  way  a  few  hours  after  leav- 
ing the  ship,  and  that  they  had  wandered  about  till 
they  saw  the  flag-staff.  Mr.  Fife  fancied  this  flag 
was  one  which  had  been  hoisted  some  time  before, 
and  walked  another  way  with  two  of  the  men,  while 
these  four  made  for  the  flag-staff.  They  halted  for 
the  night  on  their  way,  and  made  a  sort  of  hut  of 
stones  and  turf  to  shelter  them  from  the  weather, 
^  and  kindled  a  little  fire  with  moss  and  gunpowder 
to  wUrm  their  feet :  and,  fortunately,  they  never 


see  this, 
:iiod  of 
parties, 
el  to  do; 
iled. 
out  any 
anxiety 

patched 
;m  pikes 
ies  they 
vent  on, 
3y  might 
's  if  they 
and  to 
ch  was  a 
IS  would 
lill. 
he  most 


will* 


-lii 


r^^e 


never 


|i<HH"lwn!<      »j 


|''*| *»>»■'<  ■I  *<ft'd*iiiiM'**-  I'^-y^t*  > 


n^t^.ft*  y w »ii»*    ,1  ini  ■■ 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


27 


I ' 


wanted  food,  being  able  to  supply  themselves  with 
raw  grouse,  which  they  shot  and  eat. 

"  Wc  were  just  going  to  despatch  some  parties 
in  search  of  Fife,  when  news  was  brought  that  he 
was  seen  returning  with  his  two  men.  They  had 
been  three  nights  exposed  to  the  dreadful  cold,  and 
were  much  exhausted  by  cold  and  fatigue  ;  their 
toes  and  fingers  were  frost-bitten,  and  required, 
great  care  from  our  medical  gentleman  before  thej 
could  be  cured. 

"  We  had  great  reason  to  be  thankful  for  their 
return,  for  the  following  night  was  so  severe  that 
it  is  scarcely  possible  they  could  have  survived  it. 
In  gratitude  for  this  act  of  mercy,  we  named  the 
spot  *  Cape  Providence.' 

**  If  this  does  not  present  to  you  some  idea  of  the 
increasing  dangers  of  our  situation,I  will  endeavour 
to  describe  to  you  the  situation  of  our  ships,  when 
I  drew  this  little  picture.  You  know  the  danger 
to  ships  of  being  on  shore :  well,  we  were  sailing 
with  a  fair  wind  along-side  of  the  main-land,  but 
our  progress  was  delayed  by  young,  or  what  wc 
call  bay  ice,  which  is  ice  newly  frozen,  and  which 
requires  efforts  to  cut  through,  although  it  is  not 
sufficient  entirely  to  stop  us.  We  were  as  near 
shore  as  we  could  well  be  without  danger,  when  we 
})erceiyed  a  field  of  thick  ice  driven  by  a  strong 
current  against  us,  which  threatened  momentarily 
to  dash  us  against  the  land.  Nothing  could  have 
saved  us  from  immediate  destruction  had  there  not 
been  a  mass  of  thick  ice,  or  iceberg,  projecting  from 
the  main  land,  on  each  side  of  which  one  of  our 
ships  was  forced  by  the  drifted  ice  to  take  shelter. 
We  were  within  a  hundred  yards  of  this  point,  when 
we  saw  the  floe  dash  against  it  with  a  tremendous 
crash,  piHng  up  enormous  fragments  of  ice  in  a 


•«nm« 


NORTHERN    REGIONS. 

most  terrific  manner,  and  thankful  indeed  were  wt 
at  having  escaped  a  situation  from  which  no  human 
skill  could  have  saved  us." 

**  Oh  !  my  dear  uncle,"  cried  Charles,  who  had 
been  almost  breathless  during  this  account,"  how 
1  rejoice  at  your  escape,  and  that  your  poor  Heclu 
was  not  run  aground  ;  but  do  tell  me  why  the  good 
Griper  your  consort  is  drawn  in  that  forlorn  situa- 
tion, all  on  one  side,  as  if  she  was  already  lighten- 
ed of  her  crew,  and  half  filled  with  water." 

*'I  will  tell  you,  my  boy,  for  our  calamities  ap- 
peared to  be  hourly  multiplying.  We  passed  a 
fearful  night,  surrounded  by  terrors.  In  the  morn- 
ing we  perceived  numerous  floes  which  threatened 
ns  :  some  of  them  missed  the  llecla  bv  a  hundred 
yards  ;  but  at  length  we  perceived  one  moving  up 
to  the  Griper,  and  we  saw  her  turn  on  her  side  so 
much,  that  we  had  no  doubt  she  had  been  forced  on 
shore.  Indeed  it  was  too  true,  and  what  made  it 
more  melancholy,  was  that  its  commander.  Lieu- 
tenant Liddon,  was  suffering  from  illness,  which 
had  been  much  increased  from  the  last  fortnight*s^ 
disasters,  and  the  severe  weatlier. 

"  We  sent  some  of  our  men  round  to  assist  the 
Griper  in  her  distress  ;  and  Captain  Parry  was 
anxious  that  Jiieutenant  Liddon  should  be  remov- 
ed to  the  Hecla :  but  he  refused,  saying  that  he 
would  be  the  last  man  instead  of  the  first  to  quit 
his  vessel ;  and  accordingly  he  remained  seated 
against  the  side  of  the  deck,  during  the  greater 
part  of  the  day,  giving  the  necessary  orders." 

**  I  like  him  for  it,  uncle,"  cried  Chuilc  i ;  **  I 
hope,  mama,  that  you  will  let  me  call  that  firm- 
ness, and  not  obstinacy." 

"  I  will  allow  you,  my  boy,"  answered  his  ma- 
ma, "  and  I  agree  with  you  in  admiring  that  firm- 


XORTIiERX    REGIONS. 


m 


ness  of  resolution,  which  nuide  him  persevere  in 
pcrforniinij:  his  duty,  notwithstandin*;-  his  bodily 
tiufFerings." 

'*  The  Griper,  our  distressed  consort,"  continued 
uncle  Richard,"  was  not  very  long  before  she  was 
afloat  again  ;  but  the  unpromising  appearance  of 
the  ice,  the  advanced  season,  and  the  risks  we  had 
undergone  for  some  days  past,  made  our  com- 
mander think  that  it  was  time  to  look  out  for 
winter  quarters.  /  , 

**  The yoiuig  ice  was  formin g so  rapidly,  that  wo 
were  convinced  that  it  was  owin^  to  the  strong 
winds  alone  that  the  sea  was  not  entirely  frozen 
over  in  these  parts ;  and  it  seemed  not  improbable, 
that  if  the  weather  continued  calm  for  four  and 
twenty  hours  we  might  be  obliged  to  pass  the  win- 
ter in  our  present  exposed  situation.  It  was  unani- 
mously agreed,  therefore,  that  it  would  be  the  wis- 
est plan  to  put  back  into  the  bay  of  the  llecla  and  the 
Griper,  which  promised  the  best  shelter.  We  an- 
chored at  the  south  of  this  bay,  but  found  that  it 
would  be  necessary  to  cut  a  canal  of  about  two 
miles  in  length,  through  the  ice,  before  we  could 
plant  ourselves  into  the  harbour  which  wc  had  de- 
cided upon.  The  sailors  set  to  work  to  cut  this 
canal  with  great  spirit,  and  being  fond  of  doing 
things  in  their  own  way,  had  several  new  contrivan- 
ces to  help  them  on.  For  instance,  look  here, 
Charles,  these  blocks  of  ice  were  to  be  floated  out 
of  the  canal,  as  soon  as  they  had  cut  them;  and  to 
do  this  the  easier,  they  fastened  these  old  boat 
sails  to  them,  by  which  a  northerly  breeze  soon 
wafted  them  into  the  open  part  of  the  sea. 

"  But  the  cutting  of  this  canal  was  very  tedious 
work,  our  first  day's  task  took  us  till  midnight  to 

3* 


-J-t-E 


ff 


'Ktm 


m- 


vy'-i^ 


30 


3:Jf 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


iSnish,  and  on  the  second  we  found  that  it  was  ne- 
cessary to  sink  the  blocks  of  ice  under  the  flee,  in- 
stead of  floating  them  out,  as  the  entrance  of  the 
canai,  through  which  the  ships  had  passed,  was 
now  frozen  We  accomplished  this  diflicult  job  in 
the  following  manner;  some  of  our  men  stood  upon 
one  end  of  the  block  of  ice  which  was  to  be  sunk, 
while  others  on  the  floe  dragged  the  opposite  end 
towards  them.  Ofl[icers  and  all  joined  in  the  em- 
ploy, and  many  of  them  frequently  stood  during 
the  whole  day  up  to  their  knees  in  water  which 
was  nearly  as  cold  as  ice.  In  the  evening  we  moved 
the  ships ;  the  Griper,  you  observe,  is  fastened  to 
the  Hecla,  and  the  two  ships'  companies  in  parties 
on  each  bank  dragged  the  ships  along  by  ropes 
fastened  to  the  Hecla. 

"  Our  work  was  not  completed  by  Sunday,  which 
we  would  gladly  have  made  a  day  of  rest,  but  we 
were  afraid  of  being  frozen  up  entirely,  as  the  ice 
was  forming  with  great  rapidity.  On  Sunday 
afternoon  however  we  finished  it.  Our  ships 
were  safely  anchored  in  a  harbour  to  which  we 
gave  the  name  of  Winter  Harbour ;  and  a  group 
of  islands  which  we  had  discoverd  to  the  north  we 
called  the  'North  Georgian  Islands,'  in  honour  of 
our  King  George  the  fourth,  who  had  given  great 
encouragement  to  the  prosecution  of  useful  disco- 
veries." 


CHAPTER  III. 

"  Here  tve  are  then,  my  boys,  at  rest  from  all 
our  toils ;  but  do  you  envy  us  our  situation,  Charles, 
shut  up  in  the  midst  of  ice  and  snow  for  eight  or  ten 


t  it  was  nc- 
lieflce,  in- 
ance  of  the 
assed,  was 
icult  jobin 
stood  upon 
to  be  sunk, 
►posite  end 
in  the  em- 
)od  during 
Iter  which 
we  moved 
astened  to 
in  parties 
by  ropes 

lay,  which 
St,  but  we 
as  the  ice 
n  Sunday 
>ur   ships 
which  we 
1  a  group 
north  we 
bonour  of 
ven  great 
M  disco- 


■.*,,■ 


r 


10 


/ 


'^S.. 


from  all 
Charles, 
U  or  ten 


■■>«lMf, 


/ 


A^ 


{ 


s 


jy 


ZJ 


i 


■*■* 


\  ,. 


NORTIIEUN   nECIOXf. 


1^ 


inonths  to  come,  some  of  wliich  must  be  passed  m 
utter  darkness  ?  Wo  had  many  serious  evils  to 
tacc,  such  as  you  who  stay  at  home,  and  have  a 
«»ood  fire  always  to  go  to,  and  good  food  of  every 
kind  to  sustain  you,  little  dream  of.  But  to  face 
evils  steadily  is  half  to  conquer  them,  and  there- 
fore we  set  to  work  to  arrange  every  thing  in  the 
host  manner  that  we  could. 

**  The  masts  of  the  ship  were  dismantled,  and 
we  formed  on  the  deck  of  the  Hecla  a  kind  of  hous- 
ing, by  planks  covered  with  thick  cloth,  such  as 
wagons  are  covered  with,  and  this  sheltered  the  up- 
])cr  deck  from  the  wind  and  snow.  The  upper  deck 
was  cleared,  to  enable  the  crew  to  take  exercise 
there  when  the  weather  was  too  severe  for  them  to 
go  on  shore.  We  were  so  anxious  to  preserve  our 
ropes  and  a  variety  of  other  things,  that  we  took 
unnecessary  trouble ;  if  we  had  had  more  experi- 
ence we  should  have  known,  that  to  suffer  the  fine 
snow  to  fall  upon  them  would  have  protected  them 
better  than  any  plan  we  could  have  devised. 

**  The  next  thing  to  be  considered  was  the  health 
and  the  comfort  of  the  men.  They  had  hitherto 
enjoyed  very  good  health,  except  Lieut.  Liddon, 
who  was  not,  however,  much  recovered.  Capt. 
Parry  first  took  measures  to  have  their  births  made 
dry  and  warm  ;  then,  both  for  the  sake  of  health 
and  economy,  it  became  necessary  to  reduce  the 
allowance  of  food.  Donkin's  preserved  meat,  and 
vegetable  soup,  were  distributed  instead  of  so  much 
salt  meat,  and  an  allowance  was  made  of  pickles 
and  vinegar,  to  keep  oflf  the  scurvy.  Each  man 
was  forced  to  drink  some  lime  juice  mixed  with 
sugar  every  day.  I  can  assure  you  that  sailors  are 
no  better  than  children  when  their  own  health  is 
concerned,  for  if  some  of  us  had  not  stood  by  all 


# 


il 


J 


:r     !>> 


32 


NORTTIER.N  REGIONS. 


the  while,  this  potion  wouUl  never  have  been 
drunk.  IIovv  to  aninse  nnd  occupy  ourselves  was 
the  next,  and  a  very  important  consideration." 

"  Oh,"  exclaimed  Chjsrlcs,  "  T  should  not  imve 
been  lon«r  in  fixing  upon  that,  uncle :  you  could 
skate  nnd  slide,  and  you  could  build  snow  houses, 
and  hunt  the  white  hares,  and  set  fox-traj>s,  and  a 
hundred  other  things." 

"  Well  done,  Charles,  with  your  hundred  other 
things.  In  some  respects,  indeed,  we  did  as  you 
would  have  done,  we  hunted  all  the  animals  we 
could  find.  Very  few  deer  fell  to  our  lot,  for  the 
tamer  animals  migrated  at  the  end  of  October,  and 
left  us  nothing  but  wolves  and  foxes  to  keep  us 
company.  Wq  had  fo»traps  too  ;  and  one  day 
CaptJiin  Sabine's  servant,  in  looking  at  one  of  these 
traps,  was  followed  by  a  white  bear  almost  all  the 
way  back  to  the  ships,  from  which  several  balls 
were  aimed  at  him,  but  the  sly  fellow  made  his 
escape.  This  was  the  only  bear  we  saw  all  through 
the^  winter,  and  it  was  of  a  pure  white  :  I  was  in 
hopes  of  briging  you  home  a  beautiful  little  white 
fox,  but  it  died  in  its  passage  ;  he  paid  our  shi})  a 
visit  one  night,  and  I  succeeded  in  catching  him. 
You  cannot  imagine,  Charles,  how  the  poor  little 
creature  shrunk  and  trembled  whenever  a  wolf  was 
heard  to  howl  near  the  ships  ;  I  cannot  help  fancy- 
ing from  that  circumstance,  that  they  are  hunted  by 
wolves  in  their  wild  state.  As  for  wolves,  we  used 
to  hear  them  howl  most  piteously  on  the  beach  for 
hours  together,  but  we  seldom  saw  many  at  a  time, 
and  they  were  shy  of  coming  near  us,  and  never 
attacked  any  of  us,  even  when  evidently  suffering 
from  hunger  -  ,   ^# 

**  And  now  for  our  other  amusements  :  what 
think  you,  Charles,  of  acting  plays  ?" 


1 


.NORTH i:RN    RL«ilO.N>. 


33 


*'  It* you  h:ul  but  liad  u  pbiyliouse,  uncle?" 

"  So  W(;  thought,  and  we  set  to  work  to  have 
»Mie  prepared,  and  Lieut.  Beeehey  was  appointed 
•itajie-niaster  ;  and  the  5th  of  November  we  fixed 
'ipon  lor  our  first  perl'ormance,  as  tliat  is  a  grand 
iioliday,  you  know. 

'•  \Vhilc  our  theatre  was  preparing,  we  set  on 
foot  a  weekly  newspaper,  which  we  called  the 
North  Georgian  Gazette  and  Winter  Chronicle  ; 
Captain  Sabine  was  editor,  and  it  was  written 
by  the  ofKcers  of  both  ships  ;  many  an  hour 
being  thus  occupied  which  otherwise  might  have 
been  passed   in  thinking   ofour  gloomy  situation. 

"  Captain  Sabine,  who  was  astronomer  to  the 
expedition,  sentaj)arty  of  the  mentobuddan  ob- 
servatory on  shore,  as  well  as  a  house  to  hold  the 
clocks  and  instruments.  This  house  was  built  of 
lir  planks,  which  had  been  brought  in  the  ships  for 
the  purpose  of  building  spare  boats  with,  and  the 
walls  were  made  double,  the  space  between  being 
filled  up  with  moss,  by  which  means  a  single  stove 
could  warm  it.  A  house  of  snow,  Charles,  inrght 
not  perhaps  have  answered  the  purpose,  but  it 
would  have  been  much  easier  to  build  than  this, 
for  the  ground  was  frozen  so  hard,  that  it  w^as 
with  the  greatest  difficulty  we  cojild  dig  holes  for 
the  upright  posts  to  be  put  in. 

"  While  thus  employed  we  had  reason  to  be 
thankful  for  the  safe  situation  ofour  ships  in  the 
harbour,  for  on  the  very  night  of  their  arrival,  the 
thermometer  fell  to  one  degree,  and  the  sea  was 
observed  the  next  day  to  be  quite  frozen  over  as 
far  as  could  be  sejen  from  the  highest  hills,  nor  was 
any  more  water  visible  from  this  tiire. 

*'  The  following  incident  will  give  you  some  idea 
of  the  cold  whicTi  we  had  to  suffer  even  in  k!«is 


m 


34 


NORTHERN    REGIONS. 


early  stage  of  the  winter,  for  it  was  only  on  the 
10th  of  October  that  one  of  our  sailors  nearly  lost 
his  life  from  it :  this  was  John  Pearson,  who  went 
with  a  party  of  other  sailors  to  hunt  some  deer. 
A  stag  was  wounded,  and,  in  the  eagerness  of  the 
men  to  secure  him,  they  forgot  the  order  of  the 
captain  that  every  person  should  be  on  board  be- 
fore sunset,  and  they  did  not  return  till  late.  John 
Pearson  was  the  last  of  all  the  party,  and  had  im- 
prudently gone  out  without  his  mittens,  and  with 
a  musket  in  his  hand.  A  party  of  our  people  most 
providentially  found  him,  although  the  night  was 
very  dark,  just  as  he  had  fallen  down  a  steep  bank 
of  snow,  and  was  beginning  to  feel  very  drowsy ; 
and  1  dare  say  you  know,  that  if  he  had  indulged 
this  drowsiness^  and  gone  to  sleep,  it  would  have 
proved  fatal  to-  him. 

**  As  it  was,  when  he  was  brought  on  board  his 
fingers  were  quite  stiff,  and  bent  to  the  form  of  that 
part  of  the  musket  which  he  had  been  carrying ; 
and  his  hands  were  so  severely  frost-bitten,  that 
a  short  time  afterwards  the  surgeon  was  obliged 
to  cut  off  three  of  his  fingers. 

"  I  remarked  in  this  man,  and  in  several  others 
whom  I  have  since  seen,  who  have  been  e^if posed 
to  extreme  cold,  that  it  affects  the  mind  no  less 
than  the  body.  He  looked  very  wild,  and  spoke 
thick  and  unintelligible,  exactly  like  a  person  who 
is  intoxicated,  so  that,  if  I  had  not  been  sure  that 
he  could  not  have  been  drinking  on  shore,  I  should 
'liave  thought  that  he  deserved  punishment  for  get- 
ting drunk. 

*  To  prevent  the  sailors  from  losing  their  way 
again.  Captain  Parry  orderecf  finger-posts  to  be 
set  up  on  all  the  hills,  about  two  or  three  miles 
from  Wittier  Harbour.  ^f ' 


tifiiV., 


m 


NORTHERN   REGION; 


35 


)nly  on  the 
nearly  lost 
I,  who  went 
some  deer, 
rncss  of the 
rdcr  of  the 
1  board  be- 
late.  John 
ind  had  ini- 
s,  and  with 
people  most 
3  night  was 
,  steep  bank 
;ry  drowsy ; 
ad  indulged 
would  have 

>n  board  his 
form  of  that 
carrying ; 
iitten,  that 
ras  obliged 

eral  others 

|en  ejfposed 

ind  no  less 

and  spoke 

lerson  who 

In  sure  that 

e,  I  should 

int  for  get- 

their  way 

losts  to  be 

[hree  miles 

1^' 


"  Pray,  uncle,"  asked  the  reflecting  Tom,  **  at 
what  time  did  your  real  winter  begin ;  I  mean^ 
when  did  you  lose  sight  of  the  sun  altogether  ?" 

'*  About  the  middle  of  October  we  took  leave  of 
the  sun  for  four  months ;  it  continued,  indeed,  to 
rise  for  a  few  hours  every  day  until  the  4th  of  No- 
vember, but  the  weather  was  so  thick  that  it  was 
not  visible  to  us.  From  half  past  nine  till  half  past 
two  we  could  just  see  in  the  captain's  cabin  to  write 
and  read,  the  rest  of  the  time  we  lived  by  candle- 
light. The  sky  was  extremely  beautiful  at  the 
setting  and  the  rising  of  the  sun  at'this  period,  the 
rich  blueish  purple  round  the  horizon  being  crown- 
ed with  anarch  of  the  most  brilliant  red. 

"  We  were  all  of  us  rather  dull  on  the  4th  of 
November,  when,  as  I  have  told  you,  the  sun  had 
set  not  to  rise  on  us  again  for  a  long  time.  How 
could  we  tell  whether  our  fuel  might  not  be  con- 
sumed before  we  again  could  hope  to  welcome  its 
beams,  and  what  should  then  prevent  our  provi- 
sions from  being  frozen  and  spoiled,  and  ourselves 
all  dying  of  cold  and  hunger  ? 

*'  Our  captain  knew  that,  of  all  the  evils  we  had 
to  encounter,  want  of  employment  was  the  worst, 
and  therefore  he  proposed  to  us  to  act  our  first  play 
on  the  following  day,  and  accordingly  we  perform- 
ed the  farce  of  *  Miss  in  her  Teens,'  much  to  the 
amusement  of  the  sailors,  whose  mirth  was  very 
great  at  seeing  some  of  their  officers  stoop  to  per- 
form  the  character  of  young  ladies." 

"  You  must  have  found  the  hours  pass  rather 
tediously  most  days,  I  think,  uncle,"  said  Charles, 
**  if  you  could  not  go  out  of  the  ship  ?" 

"  I  will  tell  you  what  our  daily  occupations  were, 
and  you  shall  judge  if  we  did  not  contrive  to  keep 
the  enemy,  idleness,  out  tolerably  >vell.     Our  offi 


if 

'■\   -, 
-'  I, 


# 


•r  Mi 


m 


NOKTHEIiN    REGIONS. 


Ul- 


cers and  quarter-masters  were  divided  into  four 
watches,  which  were  regularly  kept,  and  the  re- 
mainder of  the  ship's  crew  were  allowed  to  pass 
the  night  undisturbed.  At  six  all  the  crew  got  up, 
and  both  decks  were  well  rubbed  >vith  stones  and 
warm  sand.  At  eiafht  both  officers  and  men  sat 
down  to  breakfast ;  and  at  a  quarter  past  nine  the 
muster  took  place  on  the  quarter-deck,  and  a  strict 
examination  of  the  cleanliness  of  each  man's  per- 
son, and  whether  his  clothing  was  in  good  condi- 
tion and  sufficiently  warm. 

*'  The  captain  and  one  or  two  more  officers  then 
generally  went  down  to  visit  the  lower  deck,  while 
the  men  were  allowed  to  walk  or  run  round  the 
upper  one.  Every  little  piece  of  ice  which  was 
frozen  in  the  night  was  cleared  away  from  the 
births,  to  prevent  the  dampness  occasioned  by  the 
warmth  of  the  breath  melting  this  ice.  The  bed 
places  were  very  difficult  to  be  kept  dry,  as  we 
were  afraid  of  burning  a  fire  constantly  on  the  lewd- 
er deck,  for  fear  of  consuming  too  many  coals. 

'*  Captain  Parry  took  the  opportunity  of  seeing 
those  who  were  on  the  sick  list,  &nd  consulting  the 
surgeon  as  to  their  comforts  and  recovery. 

"  The  men  were  then  allowed  to  go  on  shore 
,  till  noon,  when  they  returned  on  board  and  dined  ; 
when  the  weather  would  not  admit  of  this,  they 
were  ordered  to  run  round  and  round  the  deck, 
keeping  step  to  a  tune  on  the  organ,  or  to  a  song 
of  their  own  singing.  Some  of  the  men  did  not 
like  this  mode  of  taking  exercise ;  but  when  they 
found  that  the  captain  had  fixed  upon  it  for  their 
good,  and  that  no  excuse  would  be  taken,  they 
cheerfully  complied,  and  made  it  an  occasion  of 
much  mirth  and  frolic. 

"  The  officers  dined  at  two,  and  rambled  for  a 


e*.'. 


,1* 


t 


> 


I  man  s  per- 


NORTHERN   REGION?. 


37 


few  hoars,  even  on  the  darkest  days,  on  shore, 
except  when  there  was  a  very  heavy  snow-drift. 
There  was  little  to  amuse  or  interest  us  on  shore, 
as  we  seldom  extended  our  walks  above  one  or 
two  miles,  for  fear  of  a  sudden  snow-drift,  which 
would  have  prevented  onr  return  to  the  ships. 
If  we  looked  towards  the  sea,  one  unbroken  sheet 
of  ice  was  before  us  ;  if  we  turned  to  the  land,  snow 
alone  presented  itself  to  our  view,  with  here  and 
there  a  small  patch  of  brown  bare  ground.  There 
was  something  rather  melancholy  in  the  scene, 
when  viewed  from  the  summit  of  the  neighbouring 
hills,  on  a  calm  quiet  day.  Not  an  object  on  which 
the  eye  could  rest  with  pleasure  till  it  reached  our 
own  diminutive  colony,  where  the  smoke  qf  several 
little  fires  showed  the  presence  of  man,  and  the 
sound  of  a  few  voices,  which  could  be  heard  at  a 
i^reat  distance  during  the  cold  weather,  broke  the 
death-like  stillness  which  reigned  around. 

"  In  the  afternoon,  the  men  were  employed  on 
the  lower-deck,  drawing  and  knotting  yarns  for  the 
rigging,  and  preparing  other  little  requisite  conve- 
niences. At  six  the  same  muster  and  examination 
of  the  crew  took  place  as  in  the  morning ;  the  sail- 
ors then  went  to  their  supper,  the  officers  to  their 
tea';  after  which  the  men  were  allowed  to  amuse 
themselves  as  they  pleased.  Dancing,  singing,  and 
games  of  all  kinds  (for  sailors  are  jolly  men, 
Charles,)  went  on  till  nine,  when  they  went  to  bed, 
and  lights  were  extinguished. 

*'  I  suppose  I  need  hardly  tell  you,  that  we 
officers  spent  our  evenings  somewhat  more  grave- 
ly ;  reading  and  writing,  a  game  at  che«^,  or  a 
tune  on  thefluteorviolin,  bmng  our  chief  exi^y^ 
nfents-. 


Si 


A 

^w 


i 


I  t 


HI 


N6RtlIEtix\   REGIONS'. 

'  "  On  Sundays,  divine  service  was  performed  on 
board  each  of  the  ships,  and  a  sermon  read ;  and 
it  was  pleasing  to  see  the  attention  paid  by  our 
H^ilors  to  their  religious  duties. 

"  We  acted  plays  once  a  fortnight,  and  they 
continued  a  source  of  great  amusement.  Unfor- 
tunately we  had  but  few  plays  with  us,  and  it  was 
difficult  to  vary  them  sufficiently.  Some  of  the 
officers,  therefore,  whom  we  called  our  authors 
because  they  were  better  skilled  in  the  use  of  their 
pen  than  most  of  us,  set  to  work,  and  composed  a 
musical  entertainment  for  a  Christmas  piece. 
"They  with  great  ingenuity  adapted  it  to  our 
I  audience,  and  to  the  situation  in  which  we  were 

\  placed,  and  alluded  to  the  success  we  had  already 

J  met  with  in  so  happy  a  manner,  as  at  once  to  pro- 

duce entertainment,  and  to  encourage  hopes  of  the 
m.        ultimate  success  of  the  expedition. 
[^  **  You  will  perhaps  wonder  how  we  could  mark 

1  each  day,  when  the  total  absence  of  the  sun  had 

/  placed  us  in  perpetual  night. 

**  The  whole  face  of  nature  was  indeed  complete- 
ly changed  to  us,  but  it  was  far  from  being  so 
gloomy  as  yon  would  imagine.  A  considerable 
twilight  about  noon  denoted  the  return  of  day,  and 
in  clear  weather,  a  beautiful  arch  of  red  light  over- 
spread the  horizon  to  the  south,  for  an  hour  or  two 
before  and  after  noon." 

*  *  That  was  a  very  short  day,  uncle ;  and  had  you 
light  enough  then  to  see  to  readf'  asked  Tom. 

**  Yes,  Tom,"  answered  his  uncle.  **  Christmas 
came  without  bringing  with  it  utter  darkness ;  in- 
deed the  reflection  of  light  from  the  snow,  in  ad- 
dition to  the  occasional  presence  of  a  bright  mooi?, 
prevented  iis  from  experiencing  at  any  time  the 


NORTIIEKN  REGIONS. 


3i> 


gloomy  wight  which  occurs  in  more  temperate 
climates. 

"  Great  care  was  taken,  all  the  while  the  sun  was 
under  the  horizon,  to  keep  regular  hours  for  our 
meals ;  and  as  the  days  shortened  very  gradually, 
we  did  not  feel  the  approach  of  the  shortest  day, 
though  we  were  not  sorry  when  it  had  passed* 
We  spent  our  Christmas-day  as  much  as  possible 
in  the  same  manner  as  we  should  have  done  at 
home.  After  divine  service  the  men  had  fresh 
meat  at  dinner,  and  rather  more  grog,  to  drink  the 
health  of  their  friends  in  England.  The  officers' 
had  a  piece  of  roast  beef,  wliiph  strange  to  say,  had 
been  kept  without  salt  in  our  ship  since  May. 

** A  great  many  frost-bites  occurred  at  this  period , 
even  when  the  men  were  walking  quickly  for  exer- 
cise, and  they  were  very  difficult  to  heal  on  account 
of  the  extreme  cold ;  and  much  injury  to  the  gener- 
al health  of  the  men  was  apprehended,  from  the 
long  confinement  necessary  for  their  cure.  Mr. 
Edwards,  our  medical  man,  thought  the  stift* 
leather  of  their  boots  prevented  circulation  ;  and 
Captain  Parry,  in  consequence,  ordered  a  pair  of 
canvas  boots,  lined  with  woollen  stuff,  to  be  made 
for  every  man ;  after  which  there  were  few  frost- 
bites in  the  feet. 

"  The  latter  end  of  December  the  weather 
changed,  and  th&  year  closed  with  milder  wea- 
ther than  wc  had  experienced  for  two  months." 


V    ! 


40 


NORTHERN  REGiONif. 


*i 


CHAPTER  IT, 


''  I  AM  very  impatient  for  you  to  coritimie  yoiii 
story,  uncle,"  cried  Charles  the  following  evening- 
when  seated  as  usual  at  the  round  table,  "  and  1. 
can  assure  you,  I  have  heard  nothing  yet  that 
should  prevent  me  from  still  wishing  to  make  o 
voyage  to  the  Arctic  regions." 

**  And  I  believe  you  have  heard  the  worst  of  it 
too,"  continued  uncle  Richard  ;  "  though  in  Janu- 
ary the  severe  weather  returned,  and  the  scurvy 
began  to  make  its  appearance  among  us.  As  this 
complaint  is  supposed  to  arise  from  salt  dry  food, 
we  distributed  our  vegetable  soups,  lemon-juice, 
and  sugar,  pickles,  preserves  and  spruce  beer ;  ad- 
ded to  which,  Capt.  Parry  had  a  constant  supply 
of  fresh  mustard  and  cress,  which  he  grew  in  small 
boxes  in  his  cabin,  placed  in  a  warm  situation  neai- 
the  stove-pipes.  These  are  never-failing  remedies, 
and  our  patients  were  not  long  in  being  cured. 

"  You  may  be  surprized,  perhaps,  that  you  have 
not  heard  me  mention  the  Aurora  Borealis,  which 
is  a  phenomenon  which  displays  itself  in  the  north- 
ern regions,  affording  some  recompense  for  the 
annual  loss  of  the  sun's  presence  for  so  many 
weeks.  Hitherto  we  had  been  disappointed,  ha- 
ving seen  only  a  few  faint  appearances  of  it ;  but 
about  the  middle  of  January  we  were  gratified 
by  a  very  brilliant  display  of  it.  I  should  at- 
tempt in  vain  to  convey  an  idea  of  the  beauty  of 
this  magnificent  phenomenon  :  the  luminous  arch, 
which  before  we  had  seen  only  of  a  pale  light, 
was  now  most  brilliant,  being  broken  into  a  thou- 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


41 


sand  irregular  masses,  streaming  rapidly  in  differ- 
ent directions,  and  varying  every  moment,  some- 
times resembling  in  shape  a  snake  curling  itself 
about,  and  sometimes  a  shepherd's  crook :  it  is  said 
that  a  sound  is  usually  heard  from  the  Aurora  Bo- 
realis,  but  we  listened  and  could  hear  none. 

"We  now  began  to  watch  for  the  first  re-ap- 
perance  of  the  sun,  and  for  nine  days,  all  on  board 
took  it  by  turns  to  look  out  for  it  from  the  mast's 
head,  one  person  not  being  able  to  watch  long  to- 
gether, for  fear  of  suffering  from  frost-bites. 

"At  twenty  minutes  before  noon,  on  the  third 
of  February,  we  saw  the  sun  for  the  first  time 
for  eighty-four  days ;  we  could  now  see  to  work 
on  the  outside  of  the  ships  from  eight  till  four, 
and  delighted  enough  we  were,  to  employ  our- 
selves about  something  useful  for  the  equipment 
of  the  ships.  Our  first  job  was  to  collect  stohes 
for  ballast,  for  it  was  calculated,  that  the  Hecla , 
aktne  would  require,  in  the  spring,  nearly  seventy 
tons,  to  make  up  for  the  loss  of  weight  in  stored 
and  provisions  that  had  been  consumed.  Wc 
brought  the  stones  d<|WD  upon  sledges  about  half 
a  mile  to  the  beach,  ivhere  they  were  broken  to  a 
convenient  size,  and  weighed  in  scales  which  w<,^ 
erected  on  the  shbte  for  the  purpose. 

"  The  coldest  season  was  now  approaching,  but 
the  animating  presence  of  the  sun  made  us  rathei: 
imprudent :  for  instance,  Capt.  Parry  was  so  anx- 
ious to  enjoy  daylight,  and  to  save  the  candles,  that 
he  ordered  the  stern-windoyvs  of  his  cabin  to  be  un- 
covered. The  cold  then  became  so  great,  that  for 
several  weeks,  it  was  impossible  to  sit  in  it  with- 
out being  warmly  wrapped  up,  so  that  we  used  to 
tRrow  oS'oiir  gr!?at  coats  when  we  went  cm  dttlt^' 

4* 


''X 


42 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


and  could  warm  ourselves  by  exercise,  and  put 
them  on  again  when  we  went  down  in  the  cabin. 
"  One  day,  when  the  men  were  running  on  deck 
for  exercise,  the  house  on  shore,  which  you  re- 
member we  had  built  to  put  our  clocks,  &,c.  in, 
was  seen  to  be  in  a  blaze  of  fire  ;  officers  and  men 
all  ran  to  extinguish  it,  and  by  pulling  off  the  roof 
with  ropes,  and  knocking  down  a  part  of  the  sides, 
and  throwing  snow  upon  the  flames,  we  succeeded 
in  extinguishing  them  in  about  three  quarters  of 
an  hour,  and  saved  our  clocks  and  other  instru- 
ments lodged  there.  After  removing  these,  and 
covering  the  ruins  with  snow,  we  returned  on  deck 
till  more  temperate  weather  should  enable  us  to 
dig  out  the  rest  of  the  things :  we  then  had  a  gen- 
eral muster  of  th6  ships'  companies,  to  see  that  all 
had  put  on  dry  clothes,  after  which  they  were  em- 
ployed in  drying  the  wet  ones  till  dinner.  When 
assembled  at  the  fire,  our  faces  presented  a  singu- 
lar appearance,  almost  every  nose  and  cheek  be- 
ing white  with  frost-bites,  while  our  medical  gen- 
tlemen, and  two  or  three  others  fixed  upon  to  as- 
sist them,  were  going  from  one  to  the  other  rub- 
bing the  affected  parts  with  snow,  which,  strange 
as  it  may  seem,  is  the  only  ren^y  in  these  cases. 
Notwithstanding  such  good  care  was  taken,  we  had 
16  men  added  to  the  sick  list,  in  consequence  of  this 
accident,  and  4  or  5  men  were  confined  for  several 
weeks.  Captain  Sabine's  servant  indeed  suffered 
much  more  severely ;  he  and  Sergeant  Martin  were 
in  the-  house  at  the  time  the  fii'e  broke  out,  and, 
anxious  to  save  the  dipping  needle,  of  which  they 
knew  the  value,  they  immediately  ran  out  with  it 
into  the  open  air ;  Captain  Sabine's  servant  had 
not  time  to  put  his  gloves  on,  and  in  half  an  hour 
his  hands  were  so  benumbjetl|  that  when  taken 


'J?l 


4 

J 


f 


NORTHERN  REGIOXS. 


43 


(HI  board  by  Mr.  Edwards,  and  his  hands  plunged 
in  cold  water,  they  literally  caused  the  surface  of 
the  water  to  freeze ;  and,  poor  fellow,  though  all  that 
was  possible  was  done  for  him,  he  was  forced  some 
time  after,  to  have  part  of  four  fingers  cut  off  from 
one  hand,  and  three  from  the  other. 

"  If  this  adventure  does  not  satisfy  you,  my  little 
fellow^  that  we  had  something  to  endure  in  this  pi- 
tiless region,  what  would  you  have  said  if  you  had 
witnessed  the  excessive  joy  that  showed  itself  on 
l)oard  our  ships,  on  the  first  appearance  of  milder 
weather  f 

"  It  was  now  March,  and  we  daily  watched  in 
hopes  of  perceiving  some  change  in  the  snow  which 
surrounded  us.  ' 

"  At  length  we  found  that  the  snow  had  melted 
a  little  upon  the  black  paint  of  the  Hecla's  stern, 
and  this  was  a  pleasing  sight. 

"  We  took  advantage  of  these  few  days  of  milder 
weather  to  rebuild  the  house  on  shore,  which  we 
accomplished  in  a  very  short  time.  Soon  after 
this  we  performed  our  last  plays,  having  plenty  of 
work  now  for  the  sailors,  in  preparing  the  ship  for 
sailing  again.  The  Citizen,  and  the  Mayor  of 
Garratt,  were  the  farces,  and  our  poets  composed 
an  address  on  the  closing  of  the  North  Georgian 
Theatre.  We  were  not,  however,  at  present  grati- 
fied with  much  spring  weather ;  April  passed  in  the 
Fame  manner  as  the  former  month;  the  snow  drift- 
ed so  much  that  we  were  sometimes  obliged  to  dig 
out-  the  sentries  when  they  were  to  be  relieved.  It 
was  not  till  the  second  week  in  May  whenj^  ptar- 
migan  was  killed,  and  the  first  tracks  o^y^^eer, 
and  nnisk  oxen  traced,  which  was  a  proJOpfK  they 
return  from  their  migration  during this^^nth.  We 
had  now  constant  daylight,  the  sun  never  disapr 


■^ 


r% 


U.,    ;j 


'HI 


:^ 


Ct!i 


44 


NORTHERN  REGI0N9. 


!| 


! 


) 


pcaring  below  the  horizon.  When  the  hiida  be- 
came more  plentiful,  Captain  Parry  ordered  that 
they  should  be  given  to  the  invalids,  and  tho 
'*  game  laws"  again  issued :  by  which  all  the 
game  caught  became  public  property,  and  were 
served  out  the  same  as  other  food,  without  any 
distinction  between  the  officers  and  the  men. 

'^  In  consequence  of  going  out  to  shoot  so  much, 
a  new  disorder  was  introduced  among  us,  which 
is,  in  cold  countries,  called  *  snow  blindness.^  It 
causes  a  sensation  as  if  dust  or  sand  were  thrown 
into  the  eyes,  and  is  cured  by  the  Indians  by  hold- 
ing the  eyes  over  a  steam  from  warm  water.  We 
found  a  preparation  of  lead  mixed  with  cold 
water  a  certain  cure,  but,  in  order  to  prevent  its 
occurrence,  every  man  was  provided  with  a  short 
black  crape  veil  to  wear  when  he  went  out." 

Charles.  **  You  must  have  looked  like  a  band 
of  ruffians  in  disguise,  uncle." 

**  I  suppose  some  of  our  officers  thought  so,  for 
they  contrived  something  instead,  and  this  was  a 
pair  of  spectacles  with  blacker  green  crape  in  the 
place  of  the  glasses,  which  were  found  to  heat  the 
eyes.         . ; ,.-; .  .*■,,  ■  ■  .>•" 

I  "  Towards  the  middle  of  May  we  began  to  cut 
the  ice  round  the  ships.  We  found  it  to  our  joy 
to  be  only  six  feet  thick,  although  in  the  middle 
of  the  harbour  it  averaged  four  and  twenty  feet  f 
this  was  partly  owing  to  the  thick  snow  which 
covered  it,  and  partly  to  our  having  cut  round  the 
ships  daily  as  long  as  we  could  at  the  beginning  of 
the  winter.  We  began  our  operations  by  digging  a 
large  ttdle  under  the  stern  in  order  to  enter  the  saw « 
this  a^orie  occupied  us  two  whole  days.  A  few 
men  onlji^^ould  labour  at  this  ;  while  the  rest  of 
the  crew  were  employed  in  cle{^i:ing  away  tftesnow 


W%: 


tg 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


and  rubbish  from  the  ship's  side,  and  in  cutting  a 
trench  with  axes  two  feet  wide  and  four  feet  and 
a  half  in  depth,  by  which  means  they  left  only 
eighteen  inches  for  the  saws  to  work  upon. 

**  The  saw  being  entered  in  the  hole,  under  the 
stern,  was  worked  in  the  usual  manner,  and  small 
pieces  of  ice  were  occasionally  broken  oft'by  hand- 
spikes and  ice-chisels,  and  hooked  out  piece  by 
piece. 

"This  cold  and  tedious  operation  lasted  nine 
days,  and  on  the  tenth  the  ship  suddenly  disengaged 
herself  from  the  ice,  and  was  once  again  "  launch- 
ed," as  our  sailors  were  pleased  to  call  it. 

"  An  examination  now  took  place  of  our  stores 
and  provisions,  and  the  Griper  was  supplied  with 
her  allowance,  which  the  Hecla  had  carried  for 
her.  Our  ships'  crews  were  all  alive  ;  some  of  uis 
were  busy  breaking  stones  for  ballast,  other  hands 
were  occupied  in  getting  out  the  sails  and  boats  ; 
carpenters,  armourers,  coopers,  and  sail-makers 
all  were  at  their  work,  bustling  and  busy  I 

**  As  for  my  employment,  or  rather  amusement, 
I  defy  you  to  guess  what  it  was,  I  laid  out  a  little 
garden,  and  planted  it  with  radishes,  onions,  mus- 
tard, and  cress.  But,  alas !  notwithstanding  all  my 
care  and  attention,  when  the  end  of  July  came,  my 
radishes  were  only  an  inch  in  length,  and  my  other 
seeds  failed  utterly.  JNot  even  a  single  crop  of 
mustard  and  cress  could  be  raised  in  the  open  air, 
and  we  were  obliged  to  be  content  with  what  could 
be  grown  in  Captain  Parry's  cabin,  where  they 
could  always  be  raised  without  difficulty.  Some 
common  store  peas,  however,  were  found  to  thrive; 
and  if  we  had  discovered  this  sooner,  we  might 
at  least  have  cultivated  a  quantity  of  t^te.  leaves 
qf  this  plant,  which,  boiled  as  greens,  iv)cd|id  havi* 


I 


I  I 


40 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


been  a  g^rcat  treat  to  persons  like  us,  who  had 
been  without  fresh  vegetables  for  more  than  ten 
months.'* 

"And  all  this  time,  uncle,'*  asked  Tom,  "  were 
you  without  the  sight  of  one  green  field  or  tree  ?'* 

"  Indeed,  Tom,  we  were,"  answered  uncle 
Richard :  "  but  towards  the  latter  end  of  May  the 
brown  soil  of  the  country  showed  itself  in  patches ; 
here  and  there,  too,  we  discovered  roots  of  the; 
sorrel  among  tufts  of  moss,  and  with  joy  we  hailed 
the  appearance  of  this  plant,  which  is  a  valuable 
preventive  and  cure  for  the  scurvy,  but  there  were 
as  yet  no  leaves  upon  it. 

**  If  you  remember,  Tom,  it  was  September,  and 
the  winter  was  set  in,  when  we  sheltered  ourselves 
within  this  memorable  harbour  :  we  had  therefore 
no  opportunity  of  knowing  what  were  the  produc- 
tions  of  the  country  we  were  near.  Hitherto  all 
had  been  wrapt  up  in  one  white  mantle  of  snow  : 
the  Table  hill  was  the  most  distant  object  that  we 
had  explored,  and  its  surface  appeared  to  be  com- 
posed of  sand  and  masses  of  lime-stone,  w  hite  and 
brown,  and  disagreeable  to  the  smell  when  broken. 
The  Table  hill  itself  was  about  five  miles  from  the 
harbour,  and  formed  a  conspicuous  object.  In  our 
excursion  there  we  found  a  little  pool  of  fresh  wa- 
ter, of  melted  snow,  with  which  we  filled  a  bottle  : 
it  was  the  first  that  we  had  seen  since  September, 
and  was  a  sign  to  us  of  an  approaching  thaw.  On 
the  24th  we  felt  a  few  drops  of  rain,  and  the  same 
evening  was  agreeably  surprised  with  a  smart 
shower,  which  was  succeeded  by  several  others.  To 
see  water  in  a  fluid  state  at  all,  and  to  see  it  falling 
from  the  heavens,  was  to  us  so  remarkable,  that  I 
believe  every  soul  of  us  was  on  deck  to  witness  this 
phenomenon.  This  rain  made  little  pools  upon  the 


.■■'49; 


')  \«ho  had 
•e  than  ten 

om,  **  were 
or  tree  ?'* 
3red  undo 
af  May  the 
n  patches ; 
)ots  of  th(^ 
Y  we  hailed 
a  valuable 
there  were 

;mber,and 

1  ourselves 

I  therefore 

lie  produc- 

itherto  all 

of  snow : 

jct  that  we 

o  be  com- 

white  and 

n  broken. 

3  from  the 

ct.  In  our 

fresh  wa- 

a  bottle : 

ptember, 

haw.  On 

the  same 

a  smart 

hers.  To 

it  falling 

e,  that  I 

ness  this 

upon  the 


NOftTHERN  REGIONS. 


4 


»ce,  which  remained  fourteen  days  without  being 
j'rozen.  Two  ivory  gulls  were  reported  to  be  seeji 
upon  the  same  day." 


CHAPTER  V. 

*'  Every  thing  now  being  in  order  within  th^ 
ships,  Captain  Parry  felt  anxious  to  explore  the 
Country  before  he  left  it,  and  he  therefore  deter- 
mined upon  making  an  expedition  on  land  till  the 
ice  would  set  the  ships  free.  You  may  be  assured 
that  I  was  among  the  numerous  volunteers  to  ac* 
company  him.  We  were  twelve  of  us  altogether, 
and  were  supplied  with  provisions  for  three  weeks. 
Two  tents,  formed  by  blankets  spread  across 
})ikes,  with  stones  laid  upoii  the  foot  of  the  blan- 
kets, made  us  a  comfortable  and  portal^le  shelter. 
These  tents,  our  provisions,  and  conjuror  or  cook- 
ing apparatus,  were  carried  upon  a  strong,  but 
light  cart,  built  on  purpose.  >^^ 

*^  Each  officer  and  man  was  furnished  with  a 
blanket  made  into  a  bag,  with  a  drawing  string  at 
the  end,  a  pair  of  spare  shoes  and  stockings,  a 
ilannel  shirt,  and  a  cap  to  sleep  in.  We  carried 
our  clothing  and  blankets  in  knapsacks  on  our 
backs,  and  three  men  attended  us  on  our  first  day's 
journey  to  help  us  in  carrying  our  luggage. 

'*  We  determined  to  travel  as  much  as  possible 
in  the  night,  if  any  part  of  the  twenty-four  hours 
could  be  called  night,  when,  as  you  know,  the  sun 
never  was  below  the  horizon.  This  we  fixed  upon 
partly  in  order  to  avoid  the  full  glare  of  the  sun 
upon  the  snow,  and  partly  that  we  might  have  the 


If 


i 


■«»j 


v48 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


advantage  of  sleeping  during  the  warmest  par.t 
of  the  twenty-four  hours. 

*^  We  left  the  ships  amidst  the  cheers  of  the 
men,  accompanied  by  a  party  of  officers  who  wish- 
ed to  relieve  us  of  the  load  of  our  knapsacks  for  an 
hour  or  two.  At  8  in  the  evening  our  companions 
left  us,  and  we  journeyed  on,  finding  here  and 
there  some  dwarf  willows,  sorrel  and  poppy  roots, 
and  moss  in  great  luxuriance.  Soon  after  midnight 
we  came  in  sight  of  an  extensive  plain,  with  not  a 
spot  to  break  its  uniformity,  till  it  terminated  in  a 
range  of  lofty  hills,  which  we  had  before  seen  from 
a  distance,  and  had  named  the  Blue  hills,  from 
their  colour.  J^t  six  in  the  morning  we  pitched 
our  tents,  and,  in  the  course  of  the  day,  we  killed 
seven  ptarmigans,  two  plovers,  and  two  deer." 

**  Did  you  find  the  deer  very  wild,  uncle  ?" 
asl^ed  Tom. 

**  In  general  very  much  so ;  but  in  our  next 
night's  journey,  Capt.  Sabine  and  myself  having 
walked  faster  than  the  rest,  had  seated  ourselves 
to  wait  for  them,  when  a  fine  rein-deer  came 
trotting  up  to  us,  and  played  around  us  for  a 
quarter  of  an  hour." 

"  I  hope,  uncle,"  cried  Charles,  "  that  you 
were  not  savage  enough  to  kill  him  f" 

**  Why,  Charles,  we  had  no  gun,  and  we  knew 
that  the  cart  was  heavy  enough  already  for  the 
men  to  drag,  and,  indeed,  the  poor  animal  seem- 
ed to  place  so  much  confidence  in  us,  that  we 
neither  of  us  should  have  felt  disposed  to  make 
him  so  ill  a  reward. 

"  When  we  heard  our  people  talking  on  the 
other  side  of  the  ravine,  he  ran  up  to  them  with- 
out caution,  and  they,  less  scrupukms  than  we, 
fired  one  or  two  shots  at  him.    Happily  they  were 


NOIITHEKN   REGIONS. 


49 


leer  came 
us  for  a 


without  eftcct,  upon  which  he  returned  to  us ;  and 
when  we  got  up  and  walked  on,  he  trotted  by  our 
sides  hke  a  dog,  sometimes  getting  before  us,  and 
then  coming  back.  When  the  rest  of  the  party 
came  up  to  us  he  trotted  off." 

"  The  pictures  of  rein-deer,  uncle,"  said  Tom, 
*'  made  me  fancy  them  to  be  much  more  beautiful 
animals  than  I  found  to  be  the  case,  when  I  went 
last  spring  to  see  ore  exhibited  in  London." 

"  Its  fine  branching  horns  are  a  great  improve- 
ment to  them,  Tom,  and  probably  the  one  you  saw 
was  without  them.  But  it  is  by  no  means  a  grace- 
ful animal ;  its  high  shoulders,  and  awkward  stoop 
in  its  head,  gives  it  rather  a  deformed  appearance. 
Our  new  acquaintance  had  no  horns,  was  of  a 
brownish  colour,  with  a  black  saddle,  a  broad  rim 
pf  black  round  his  eyes,  and  very  white  about  the 
tail.  -« 

**  It  is  impossible  to  imagine  any  thing  more 
dreary  than  our  journey  continued,  over  one  level 
plain,  where  for  an  hour  together  not  a  spot  of  un- 
covered ground  could  be  distinguished.  The  few 
patches  of  this  kind  that  we  did  meet  were  most 
welcome,  for  they,  not  only  relieved  us  for  a  time 
from  the  intense  glare  of  the  sun  upon  the  snow, 
which  was  most  oppressive  to  our  eyes,  but  it  was 
on  these  alone  that  we  could  pitch  our  tents,  or 
expect  to  find  any  water.  A  brisk  wind  rising  up, 
our  men,  as  if  determined  not  to  forget  that  thc^ 
were  sailors,  fastened  a  large  blanket  upon  the 
cart  io  the  manner  of  a  sail,  which  helped  it  or 
amazingly. 

"  The  moment  our  tents  were  pitched,  every 
one  was  ordered  to  change  his  shoes  and  stockin^s^ 
£^nd  had  his  feet  examined.    We  coukl  onjy  dfV 

5  ^ 


50 


NORTHERN   REGIONS'. 


our  articles  of  dress  at  noon,  and  therefore  after 
our  midnight  halting  we  were  obliged  to  put  wet 
ones  on  again,  which,  as  you  may  imagine,  was  far 
from  agreeable.  ;. 

"  One  day  as  we  were  travelling  on,  we  came 
to  some  large  stones  sticking  upright,  and  as  the 
men  were  much  fatigued,  and  Captain  Parry  was 
afraid  to  let  them  he  upon  the  ground,  he  proposed 
that  we  should  pick  out  these  stones  one  by  one, 
and  pave  a  spot  for  our  tents  to  be  pitched  upon. 
After  an  hour's  work  we  made  a  famous  floor,  dry, 
though  rather  hard.  This  was  our  dinner  time, 
and  it  was  the  fourth  of  June,  therefore  we  loyally 
drank  the  health  of  his  Majesty  in  both  tents,  not 
knowing  at  that  time  that  our  venerable  King 
George  the  Third  was  dead. 

"  As  several  (Jf  our  party  were  beginning  to  be 
affected  with  snow-blindness,  you  may  guess  what 
a  comfort  it  was  to  us  to  perceive  before  us  a  stripe 
of  black  or  uncovered  land,  the  bank  of  a  ravine. 
We  pitched  our  tents  on  the  north  side  of  it,  and 
by  removing  some  heaps  of  sand-stone  found  abun- 
dance of  pure  water,  which  tempted  us  to  cook  the 
grouse  we  had  killed,  and  we  made  a  nice  supper 
before  we  lay  down  to  rest. 

"  After  leaving  this  ravine  we  came  to  another 
plain  of  snow,  beyond  whicli  lay  some  high  land, 
which  we  discovered  to  be  a  separate  island,  and 
\yhich  we  naniod  Sabine  Island. 

**  Captain  Parry,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Nias  and 
Mr.  Reid,  then  left  the  party,  in  order  to  examine 
the  sea  to  the  north,  after  seeing  us  all  safely  en- 
camped behind  a  wall  which  we  had  built  to  protect 
us  from  the  weather,  many  of  us  being  great  suf- 
ferers from  snow-blindness.  They  travelled  till 
tliey  gained  the  suimnit  of  a  point  eighty  feet  in 


-*'■ 


:^M 


NORTHERN    REGIOiNS. 


51 


elevation,  which  they  named  Point  ]\ias,  and  Cap- 
tain Parry  being  anxious  to  discover  whether  it  was 
the  sea,  proposed  that  we  should  remove  our  en- 
campment thither.  The  party  accordingly  return- 
ed to  us,  dined,  and  then  we  all  set  out  tq  the 
Point,  which  we  were  some  time  in  reaching,  on 
account  of  the  depth  of  the  snow,  which  made  it 
almost  impossible  to  take  the  cart  along.  It  froze 
all  day  long,  and  we  found  it  extremely  cold.  Our 
people  were  allowed  to  rest  after  supper,  and  then 
we  all  set  to  work  to  build  a  monument  upon 
Point  Nias. 

"  Here  we  found  nothing  living  except  a  flock 
of  ducks,  none  of  which  we  killed  ;  some  stunted 
moss  alone  deserved  the  name  of  vegetation. 

**  Our  monument  was  completed  in  about  two 
hi  Ts,  and  I  should  hope  that  it  would  last  for 
r.i,  years,  as  Mr.  Fisher  took  great  pains  in 
building  it.  It  was  twelve  feet  high,  and  could 
be  seen  at  several  miles  distance,  and  within  it 
we  put  a  tin  box  containing  an  account  of  our 
party,  and  one  or  two  English  coins. 

"  As  we  had  reached  the  eastern  extremity  of 
Melville  Island,  we  now  pursued  our  journey  to  the 
blue  hills,  which  we  soon  entered  upon,  and  were 
glad  to  be  reheved  from  the  sameness  of  travelling 
always  upon  a  flat  surface  of  ground.  We  met 
with  a  small  running  stream,  which  was  the  first 
we  had  seen  this  season,  passed  a  few  deer's  horns, 
and  killed  some  ptarmigans  and  ducks.  The  phi- 
anage  of  the  cock  grouse  still  continued  white  ex- 
cept near  the  tip  of  the  tail,  where  the  feathers 
were  of  a  glossy  black,  but  the  hen  changed  from 
day  to  day,  and  was  becoming  speckled :  the  snow^ 
bunting,  too,  cheered  us  by  its  lively  note,  and  ve- 
minded  us  of  a  better  country. 


I 


1 


52 


NORTHERN   REGIONS^ 


"  We  now  arranged  our  baggage  so  as  to  carry  it 
on  our  shoulders  for  the  remainder  of  the  journey, 
and  chopped  the  wood  of  our  cart  for  fuel.  Some 
ptarmigan,  therefore,  were  cooked,  and  we  had 
another  sumptuous  supper,  which  you,  who  have 
not  lived  on  cold  provisions  in  a  rigid  climate,  can 
scarcely  imagine  how  much  we  enjoyed. 

"  After  crossing  a  gulf  of  the  sea,  which  wc 
named  Liddon's  Gulf,  and  travellipg  in  various  di- 
rections, we  returned  to  the  point,  and  determined 
to  stop  a  whole  day  there  for  the  purpose  of  sport- 
ing, and  examining  its  natural  productions.  The 
first  animal  our  sportsmen  met  with  was  a  musk- 
ox,  who  was  feeding  on  a  fine  pasture  ground. — 
They  fired  at  him  without  wounding  him,  and  he 
gallopped  off  to  the  hills.  The  musk-ox  is  an  ill- 
proportioned  little  animal ;  his  hair  is  so  long  that 
he  treads  it  under  his  feet,  which  appear  too  small. 
When  disturbed  and  hunted,  he  tears  up  the  ground 
with  his  horns,  and  looks  round  at  his  pursuers, 
though  without  attempting  to  attack  them. 

**  I  had  the  good  luck  to  fall  in  with  a  large  herd 
of  deer ;  three  of  them  only  had  horns,  and  these 
were  larger  than  the  others,  and  always  drove  the 
others  on  when  they  attempted  to  stop.  One  or 
two  mice  were  caught,  which  had  biBen  white,  but 
were  beginning  to  turn  brown.  We  found  the 
holes  and  tracks  of  these  little  creatures  in  every 
part  of  the  island.  Serjeant  Martin  ran  after  one, 
which,  finding  no  hole  near,  put  himself  against  o 
stone  as  if  trying  to  defend  himself,  and  bit  the 
Serjeant's  finger  when  he  took  hold  of  him. 

*'  Here,  too,  we  discovered  the  remains  of  Es- 
quimaux huts,  and  they  appeared  to  be  recently 
deserted,  although  it  is  not  likely  that  the  Esqui- 
maux would  often  take  up  their  abode  on  Melville 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


53 


IS  to  carry  it 
he  journey, 
iuel.  Some 
ind  we  had 
I,  who  have 
climate,  can 
3d. 

,,  which  we 
1  various  di- 
determincd 
>se  of  sport- 
tions.  The 
vas  a  musk- 
3  ground. — 
him,  and  he 
■ox  is  an  ill< 
so  long  that 

Er  too  small. 
» the  ground 
is  pursuers, 
:hem. 

1  large  herd 
5,  and  these 
rs  drove  the 
p.  One  or 
1  white,  but 

found  the 
es  in  every 

1  after  one, 
If  against  o 

nd  bit  the 

him. 
lains  of  Es- 

)e  recently 

I  the  Esqui^ 

m  Melville 


<1 


% 


Island,  where  the  sum.^er  season  is  so  short  that 
there  is  scarcely  time  to  lay  up  a  store  for  winter. 
"  Finding  nothing  more  of  interest  to  detain  us, 
we  determined  upon  journeying  homewards  across 
the  table  hills.  On  the  top  of  the  highest  of  these 
hills  we  erected  another  monument,  and  likewise 
put  into  it  a  box  containing  an  account  of  our  visit. 
From  the  summit  of  this  hill  we  looked  anxiously 
to  the  sea,  hopinir  to  perceive  open  water,  but,  alas ! 
nothing  of  the  kind  was  to  be  seen.  We  then  set 
forward  for  Winter  Harbour,  which  we  reached, 
and  received  a  most  hearty  welcome  from  our 
brother  sailors,  who  were  all  well,  and  who  com»- 
j)limented  us  upon  our  robust  looks. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


*'  The  party  at  the  ships  had  been  going  on  very 
«riuietly  in  our  absence  :  shooting  imd  been  their 
ehief  sport ;  and  they  had  been  gratified  by  the 
sight  of  some  very  beautiful  rainbows,  a  phenome- 
non exceedingly  rare  in  those  cold  climates,  wherie 
the  sun  has  so  little  power. 

"You  remember  that  I  told  you  what  pleasure 
the  sight  of  the  sorrel  roots  afforded  us:  they  now 
began  to  put  out  their  leaves,  and  Captain  Parry 
gave  directions  that  two  afternoons  should  be  de- 
voted by  the  men  for  gathering  them,  and  that 
they  should  be  used  instead  of  lemon-juice  and 
pickles.  When  more  plentiful,  our  mjcn  went  dailv 

5* 


, 


'!i 


im 


54 


NORTHERN    REGIONS. 


lo  gather  lliem,  and  they  were  dressed  at  the 
messes,  and  eaten  as  salad,  or  pickle,  or  boiled 
as  greens,  or  made  into  puddings." 

Tom,     Is  the  sorrel  used  in  England,  uncle 
Richard  ? 

V  "But  little,  Tom;  it  is,  however,  occasionally 
used  as  a  medicine,  and  in  France  it  is  cultivated, 
in  order  to  put  into  salads ;  among  the  Laplanders, 
the  free  use  of  the  sorrel-leaves  is  considered  the 
only  cure  for  scurvy,  and  I  can  safely  say,  that  the 
crews  of  the  Hecla  and  Griper  owe  the  good 
health  they  enjoyed  at  this  period  to  the  unlimit- 
ed use  of  this  fresh  vegetable  substance,  so  boun- 
tifully supplied  by  the  hand  of  Nature. 

"Lieutenants  Beechey  and  Hoppner  were  sent, 
with  a  small  party  of  men  each,  up  the  country  to 
procure  game.  They  took  with  them  provisions, 
tents,  blankets,  and  fuel,  and  were  charged  to  bring 
word  when  the  ice  should  oe  seen  to  move  or 
thaw ;  they  soon  sent  us  in  some  deer,  and  in  a  few 
days  time,  the  welcome  intelligence  that  the  pools 
upon  the  surface  of  the  ice  were  increasing,  though 
as  yet  there  was  no  appearance  of  the  ice  breaking 
up.  Lieutenant  Beechey  returned  from  his  excur- 
sioa  at  the  latter  end  of  June,  and  reported,  that 
the  ice  to  the  east  was  more  thawed  than  at  Winter 
Harbour,  and  that  he  had  observed  several  cracks 
ia  it,  large  enough  for  a  small  boat  to  pass ;  he  told 
HS^  too,  that  the  deer  were  become  very  wild,  but 
that  he  had  succeeded  in  killing  one,  by  lying  down 
and  imitating  the  voice  of  a  fawn,  upon  which  the 
deer  came  within  gun-shot  of  him.  Lieutenant 
Hoppner  returned  soon  after,  and  reported  that 
tfie  ice  was  in  motion,  which  was  soon  confirmed 
by  our  observing  a  large  field  of  ice  floating  to  the 
cji^twayd,  at  the  rate  of  a  mile  an  hour. 


^ -f 


r^oiiTiir.RN  KLc;io.\Sr 


oo 


'•  V\'(3  bad  now  the  misfortune  to  lose  one  of  our 
<^oanicn,  who  had  been  long  ill,  and  whose  com- 
plaint gradually  increased,  notwithstanding  the 
skill  and  care  of  our  medical  man. 

**  On  the  following  Sunday,  after  divine  service, 
poor  Scott  was  buried ;  we  walked  in  procession  to 
hisgrave,  which  was  dug  on  a  level  piece  of  ground, 
near  the  beach;  the  flags  were  lowered,  and  every 
man  and  oflicer  attended  the  remains  of  our  unfor- 
tunate shipmate  to  the  grave :  the  solemnity  of  the 
burial  service,  and  the  peculiarity  of  our  situation, 
made  it  a  very  impressive  scene.  A  neat  tomb- 
stone was  afterwards  placed  at  the  head  of  the 
grave,  and  the  name  of  the  deceased  carred  upon 
it  by  Mr.  Fisher.  , 

"  The  snow  was  now  gradually  disappearing ; 
the  waters,  which  had  flowed  in  torrents  down  the 
ravines,  were  becoming  passable,  the  ice  was  thaw- 
ing, and  we  looked  forward  at  length  to  being  once 
again  at  liberty  to  continue  our  discoveries.  But 
it  was  already  the  middle  of  July,  and  we  could 
not  reflect  without  pain  on  the  shortness  of  the 
seasofi,  before  winter  would  again  returo  to  bury 
us  once  more  in  snow  and  ice. 

"  Our  ships  had  been  ready  to  sail  some  days ; 
our  hunting  parties  were  recalled,  and,  desirous  to 
make  a  move  from  a  spot,  on  which  we  had  most  un- 
willingly passed  nearly  ten  months  (and  long  ones 
they  had  appeared  to  us,)  we  weighed  anchor  on 
.the  25th  of  July,  at  half  past  two  o'clock.  Our 
progress  at  first  was  trifling,  but  on  the  last  day  of 
the  month  the  wind  changed,  and  the  whole  body 
of  ice  in  the  harbour  was  perceived  to  be  slowly 
moving  out  to  the  south-east,  breaking  away  at  the 
points  which  form  the  entrance  of  the  harbour.  As 
we  v>'cre  on  the  point  of  sailing  once  maxc^  Captain 


Jj^ 


oG 


NORTHERN  REGIONS* 


Parry  left  instructions  with  the  Griper  in  case  o(* 
separation,  and  after  embarking  our  clocks,  tents, 
and  observatory,  we  took  our  leave  of  Winter  Har- 
bour on  the  anniversary  of  that  day  on  which  we 
had  the  preceding  year  began  our  discoveries,  at 
the  entrance  of  Sir  James  Lancaster's  Sound. 

*'  We  sailed  round  Point  Hearne,  and  steered  to 
the  west,  but  the  wind  was  against  us,  and  the 
broken  pieces  of  ice  obstructed  us  much ;  added 
to  which,  it  was  found  that  the  Griper  sailed  worse 
than  ever,  and  detained  us  at  least  seven  miles  a 
day.  This,  in  the  short  season  which  we  had  to 
look  forward  to,  was  a  great  inconvenience,  and 
we  began  to  have  serious  thoughts  of  taking  in  the 
Griper's  crew,  and  finishing  the  voyage  in  the 
Hecla  alone.  We^continued  coast  ing,  and  frequent*- 
ly  landed  to  gather  sorrel,  and  what  little  game  wc 
could  find.  We  then  passed  the  place  where  we 
had  been  detained  so  long  last  September,  and 
where  Mr.  Fife  and  his  companions  were  so  nearly 
lost ;  and  we  recognized  as  an  old  acquaintance  the 
berg  to  which  we  had  been  anchored,  as  well  as  the 
pile  of  stones  we  had  erected  on  the  hill  above  it. 
When  we  reached  Cape  Providence,  we  could 
perceive  that  there  was  a  free  and  open  channel 
beyond  the  western  extremity  of  Melville  Island, 
but  the  want  of  a  breeze  vexatiously  prevented  us 
from  pushing  on  as  we  anxiously  wished. 

"  Beyond  Cape  Hay  we  were  again  stopped  by 
the  ice,  and  were  forced  to  secure  the  Hccia  in 
the  best  birth  we  could  find  for  her. 

"We  noticed,  on  the  land  near  this  place,  what 
appeared  to  |is  to  be  a  high  wall,  built  with  large 
stones,  and  Captain  Sabine  went  to  examine  it.- — 
He  found  it  to  be  composed  of  sand  stones^  land, 
fbrmcd  by  ^he  wa:sbing  away  of  the  rock  and  eartU 


.^'•.jW 


^^;'^ 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


m 


aside  of  it.  Large  flocks  of  glaucous  gulls  had 
<;hosen  it  as  a  secure  retreat  from  foxes,  and  these 
birds  were  so  fierce  in  defence  of  their  young,  that 
until  a  few  shots  had  been  fired  it  literally  was  not 
safe  to  approach  them. 

**  The  ice  continued  very  troublesome,  the  floeS 
perpetually  threatening  us,  and  absolutely  prevent- 
ed us  from  stirring.  A  musk-ox  came  near  enough 
to  be  shot,  and  it  aftbrded  us  excellent  food.'' 

**  Is  its  flesh  like  beef,  then,  uncle  .'*"  asked 
Charles. 

"The  flavour  is  peculiar,  but  it  appeared  as  it 
hung  up  as  fine  beef  as  could  be  seen  in  an  Eng- 
lish market.  A  small  seal,  too,  was  caught  atid 
eaten  by  the  Griper's  crew,  who  declared  that  it 
was  tender  and  good,  though  it  did  not  look  so, 
being  of  a  red  colour. 

"  On  the  ninth  of  August  the  body  of  ice,  which 
had  been  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  us,  was  seen 
to  advance,  and  soon  after  a  piece  of  a  floe  whi^'h 
was  between  it  and  the  Hecla,  received  the  whole 
pressure  of  it  as  it  came  in.  It  split  in  several  di^ 
rcctions  with  a  great  crash,  and  we  presently  saw 
a  part  raised  slowly  and  majestically,  and  deposit- 
ed on  another  part  of  the  floe  from  which  it  had 
broken.  The  ice  where  it  had  split  was  of  a  fine 
blue,  transparent,  and  quite  solid. 

*'  The  mass  of  ice  which  had  been  lifted  in  this 
manner  having  drifted  to  us  the  next  day,  we  me«i- 
8ured  it,  and  found  it  to  be  forty-two  feet  in  thick- 
ness, which  you  know  was  prodigious.  This  gave 
us  very  serious  reflections.  In  fact  we  were  con- 
vinced that  the  icy  sea  to  the  south-west  of  Melville 
Island,  was  peculiarly  unfavourable  to  navigation. 
We  had  arrived  here,  as  you  may  remember,  in 
^^pptcmbcr,  1819.  after  a  strong  nprth-wcst  wind-, 


58 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


which  alone  can  be  expected  to  open  the  ice  in 
this  quarter,  and  here  aflfain  we  were  obstructed 
the  following  August,  after  finding  a  clear  sea  all 
the  first  fifty  miles  from  Winter  Harbour.  The  ice 
not  only  was  of  increased  thickness,  but  it  pressed 
so  closely  together  that  no  opening  was  afforded. 

**  Our  situation  indeed  was  very  dangerous,  ev- 
ery detached  piece  of  ice  that  was  drifted  to  us, 
gave  our  ship  a  shock  which  its  strength  alone  en- 
abled it  to  supj)ort.  The  Griper  was  forced  on 
shore  again,  and  nearly  lost,  and  we  were  hourly 
contemplating  a  similar  fate  for  the  Hecla.  The 
wreck  of  both  ships  appeared  inevitable,  and  the 
^•llicers  were  assembled  on  board  the  Hecla  to  con- 
sult upon  what  should  be  done ;  a  sudden  change 
of  wind,  however,  relieved  us  for  a  time  from  our 
fears,  and  allowed  us  to  guin  a  situation  of  tolera- 
ble security.  ^  *   ' 

**  The  dangers,  and  the  certainty  that  he  could 
not  proceed  far  westward  in  this  latitude,  deter- 
mined Captain  Parry  to  watch  for  an  opening  in 
the  ice  to  steer  southward  a  little ;  and  accordingly 
we  put  back  to  Cape  Providence,  where  the  ice  be- 
ing more  close  than  before,  our  ships  were  no 
longer  manageable.  Our  ships  received  most  ter- 
rible shocks,  and  being  in  danger  of  becoming 
^  beset*  ^3ea,  we  made  our  way  to  the  largest  piece 
of  grourmfid  ice  we  could  find,  to  which  we  fasten- 
ed ourselves. 

*'  These  vexatious  delays,  and  the  constant  dan- 
ger which  attended  the  ships,  disheartened  us; 
much,  for  already  half  the  navigable  season  was 
past.  Our  captain  thought  he  could  scarcely  be 
justified  in  persevering  in  the  attempt  to  get  west- 
ward, and  he  addressed  a  letter  to  all  the  oflicers, 
rec|ucstin^  ^heir  advice  upon  the  subject. 


\\\ 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


59 


)cn  the  ice  in 
re  obstructed 

clear  sea  all 
lour.  The  ice 
Jut  it  pressed 
vas  afforded, 
angerous,  ev- 
irifted  to  us, 
gth  alone  en- 
>vas  forced  on 

were  houil) 
Hecla.  The 
able,  and  the 
Hecla  to  con- 
idden  change 
ime  from  our 
ion  of  tolera- 

hat  he  could 
:itude,  deter- 
1  opening  in 
I  accordingly 
e  the  ice  he- 
ps were  no 
ed  most  ter- 
f  becoming 
argest  piece 
1  we  fasten- 

)nstant  dan- 
jartened  Ufc: 


''  Now,  Chartes,  you  look  very  serious ;  what  do 
you  think  of  the  matter?" 

**  Why,  uncle,  I  am  not  for  returning  yet,  till  you 
have  tried  navigating  a  little  to  the  south ;  and  an- 
other thing  I  want  to  know,  which  is,  whether  your 
stock  of  provisions  would  hold  out,  and  your  coal," 
answered  Charles. 

"  Very  true,  my  boy,  every  thing  should  betaken 
into  consideration,  for  the  health  and  lives  of  many 
brave  men  depend  upon  the  Judicious  conduct  of 
their  commander.  An  examination  was  according- 
ly made  of  our  stores  and  provisions,  and  it  appear- 
ed that  they  would  at  the  present  allowance  last  till 
November  1821,  and  if  a  greater  reduction  was^ 
made,  that  they  would  last  till  the  end  of  the  fol- 
lowing April ;  our  fuel  could  be  made  to  last  to  the 
end  of  November  1821,  but  only  by  taking  in  the 
Griper's  crew  to  live  on  board  the  Hecla  for  six  of 
the  winter  months,  and  that  would  be  a  very  un- 
healthy plan.  Our  ships,  to  be  sure,  were  nearly 
as  good  as  when  we  left  home,  and  our  men  were 
all  healthy. 

"  However,  the  officers  sent  in  their  answers, 
and  they  were  all  of  one  opinion,  that  it  was  in  vain 
to  attempt  to  penetrate  farther  west,  but  that  it 
would  be  desirable  to  look  out  for  an  opening  in 
the  ice  southward ^  and  to  endeavour  to  reach  the 
northern  shores  of  America  ;  and  in  case  that  plant 
Fhould  fail  or  be  delayed  too  long,  that  it  would  be 
best  to  return  home  to  En^rland  at  once. 

"  You  do  not  look  so  much  disappointed  as  I 
expected,  Charles,  and  therefore  I  suppose  you 
are  fully  impressed  with  the  necessity  we  all  felt 
of  acting  according  to  the  dictates  of  sober  reason, 
rather  than  o(  following  inclination,  which  might 
})crhaps  have  induced  /some  of  the  adventurous 


II 


GO 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


Spirits  among  us  to  endure  the  ri^urs  of  another 
winter,  rather  than  return  baffled  of  our  hopes,  and 
disappointed  of  our  reward. 
*  **  But  to  continue  my  narrative  :  we  soon  doub- 
led Point  Hearne,  and  passed  Bounty  Cape ;  there 
we  observed  that  the  snow  which  fell  during  the 
day  did  not  thaw,  a  proof  that  the  glass  was  below 
freezing  point,  and  that  another  long  and  dreary 
\vinter  was  beginning. 

**  The  channel,  however,  increased  in  width,  and 
when  we  had  sailed  eight  miles  beyond  the  east- 
ern point  of  Melville  Isle,  we  could  perceive  that 
it  was  ten  miles  in  width.  We  kept  close  to  the 
edge  of  the  ice,  in  hopes  of  finding  an  opening  in 
it  to  the  southward,  but  not  a  single  break  could 
be  discovered. 

**  It  was  a  singular  fact,  that  we  arrived  within 
four  or  five  miles  of  the  same  spot  where  we  had 
been  on  the  same  day  and  the  same  hour  the  year 
before,  and  that  the  ships  were  forced,  as  they 
had  been  then,  to  steer  by  one  another,  for  want  of 
a  better  mode  of  knowing  in  what  direction  they 
were  driving.  The  fog  froze  hard  upon  the  rig- 
ging, and  made  it  difiicult  to  handle  the  ropes. 

**  You  may  trace  us  now,  as  we  pursued  our 
route  without  many  adventures,  passing  Cape 
Cockburn  in  Bathurst  Isle.  The  ice  to  the  south- 
ward was  composed  of  large  floes,  often  without  a 
crack  for  many  miles  together,  and  their  surface  as 
smooth  and  glassy  as  a  bowling-green.  We  found, 
however,  that  the  ice  was  leading  us  to  the  nortli 
of  Cxarret  Island,  instead  of  the  south  which  we 
had  passed  the  preceding  year,  and  which  wirs 
now  completely  blocked  up  by  ice. 

**In  passing  between  Garrett  and  Bathurst  is)- 
i^nds,  we  found  a  new  one,  whicU  vve  n.amed  Baker 


i 


NORTHERN  REGIONS 


61 


Island,  and  ittihe  night  we  passed  two  other  small 
ones,  which  Captain  Parry  named  successively 
Brown  and  Somerville  Islands.  Cornwallis  and 
Griffith  Islands  we  left  to  the  north,  and  took  a. 
southward  direction,  hoping  to  find  a  passage  to 
the  west  of  Cape  Bunny.  But  our  hopes  were 
again  disappointed,  the  ice  was  as  compact  here 
as  in  every  other  place,  and  no  resource  was 
left  us  except  to  steer  on  to  the  east. 

**  We  had  now  an  opportunity  of  examining  the 
land  to  the  south,  of  which  we  had  as  yet  only  taken 
a  distant  glimpse,  ar.dof  nami  ig  all  its  most  promi- 
nent points;  Cape  RenniM  was  called  after  Major 
Rennell,  the  ablest  gaogra^her  o^the  ige.  We 
then  crossed  Gamier  Bay,  and  so< ;  came  to  Cape 
Clarence,  which  is  its  most  easterly  pc'nt.  The 
land  along  which  we  hadji.ai  been  sailhi^  Captain 
Parry  named  North  Soirierset,  in  honour  of  his 
native  country,  while  to  the  northern  shore  of  Bar- 
row's strait  he  gave  the  name  of  North  Devon,  in 
honour  of  that  of  his  brother  commander,  Lieu- 
tenant Liddon.  ^     . 

'*  Thus  we  had  traced  the  ice  for  twenty-four 
degrees,  without  finding  any  opening  by  which  we 
might  hope  to  penetrate  it  southwards,  and  there- 
fore it  was  thou^'  f  advisable  to  return  at  once  to 
England,  to  give  aa  account  of  the  discoveries  wc 
had  made,  and  if  his  Majesty  should  think  fit  to 
be  ready  to  c<iiitinue  them  another  season. 

"After  tins  determination,  we  had  again  our 
full  allowance  of  provisions,  and,  what  we  all 
thought  of  more,  a  sufficient  supply  of  coals,  for 
we  had  felt  the  want  of  these  ever  since  our  en- 
trance into  Sir  James  Lancaster's  Sound. 

We  sailed  briskly  across  to  Cape  York,  passed 

6 


111 


I 


68 


NORTHERN  REGIOXS. 


Eardley  Bay,  Cape  Craufurd,  Ad/Hiralty  Inlet, 
Cape  Franklin,  and  Cape  Charles  Yorke,  all  of 
which  spots  were  new  to  us;  and  were  named  as  we 
passed  them.  JVavy  Board  Inlet,  and  Cape  Castle- 
reagh,  we  had  discerned  and  named  the  preceding 
year ;  and  we  had  again  a  distinct  view  of  the  lofty 
Byam  Martin  Mountains,  whose  summits  are 
•lothed  in  perpetual  snow.  As  we  approached 
Possession  Bay  we  encountered  several  long  low 
icebergs,  three  quarters  of  a  mile  in  length,  flat  and 
even  at  the  top.  These  are  peculiar  to  the  western 
coast  of  Baflin's  Bay.  We  also  saw  a  large  bear 
swimming  towards  the  ships,  and  despatched 
our  boats  in  pursuit  of  him,  but  without  success. 

** Anxious  as  we  now  were  to  get  home,  we  would 
not  even  land  in  Possession  Bay,  but  took  our  leave 
of  the  flag  stafl*on  its  mount,  and  pursued  our 
course  down  the  western  coast  of  Baffin's  Bay. — 
We  were  anxious  to  explore  this  coast,  from  an 
idea  that  it  might  become  a  use'ul  whaling  station  ; 
judge  then  of  our  astonishment,  when  we  spied  at  a 
distance  some  whalers  making  towards  the  land. 
It  now  seemed  clear  that  they  had  been  here  be- 
fore us ;  and  the  reason  of  our  meeting  so  few 
whales  in  Sir  James  Lancaster's  Sound  was  after- 
wards accounted  for,  by  the  circumstance  of  the 
flshlng  ships  having  previously  cleared  them. 

**  Not  long  after  we  met  another  fishing  ship 
from  England,  and  held  the  first  communication 
with  our  countrymen,  from  whom  we  heard  of  the 
death  of  King  George  the  Third. 

**  The  master  of  the  vessel  told  us  that  he  had 
met  with  some  Esquimaux  in  the  River  Clyde  in- 
\e* ;  and  thinking  it  would  be  a  good  thing  to  coin- 
miimcate  with  these  people,  we  made  for  land. 


# 


.,:'^' 


alty  Inlet, 
rke,  all  of 
imed  as  we 
ipe  Castle- 
preceding 
of  the  lofty 
nmits  are 
pproached 
1  long  low 
th,  flat  and 
\\e  western 
large  bear 
lespatched 
t  success. 
I,  we  would 
k  our  leave 
irsued  our 
I's  Bay. — 
;,  from  an 
\g  station ; 
)  spied  at  a 
the  land. 
1  here  be- 
)g  so  few 
was  after- 
ice  of  the 
hem. 

ship 
unicatirn 
ird  of  the 

t  he  had 
lyde  in- 
g  to  com- 
r  land. 


pi 


n 


1 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 

"  We  proceeded  along  the  sandy  beach  of  this 
inlet,  when  we  observed  four  canoes  come  paddling 
towards  us,  and  heard  the  Esquimaux  making  a 
great  noise.  By  their  own  desire  their  canoeft 
were  taken  on  board  ;  and  how  you  would  have 
laughed,  Charles,  if  you  had  heard  their  increased 
vociferations,  and  beheld  their  surprise  and  joy. 
There  was  one  old  and  three  young  men,  and 
when  they  had  any  present  made  to  them,  or  saw 
any  thing  which  excited  fresh  admiration,  they  set 
up  a  fresh  noise,  until  they  were  quite  hoarse  and 
out  of  breath :  and  this  was  accompanied  too  by  m- 
cessant  jumping.  Lieutenant  Beechey  wanted  to 
take  a  likeness  of  the  old  gentleman,  whom  we 
persuaded  to  stand  up  on  a  stool,  and  by  putting  on 
a  demure  look,  which  the  old  fellow  directly  mi- 
micked, we  managed  to  keep  him  tolerably  quiet. 
We  gave  each  of  them  some  presents,  and  ex- 
changed things  with  them,  and  they  went  home 
highly  delighted. 

"  As  we  wished  to  see  a  little  more  of  the  habits 
of  these  Esquimaux,  we  went  on  shore  to  them  : 
they  met  us,  and  brought  with  them  some  pieces 
of  whalebone,  and  seal  skin  dresses  for  barter,  but 
were  very  cautious  only  to  show  one  thing  at  a 
time,  and  when  they  had  got  something  in  ex- 
change for  it,  they  returned  to  the  ships  and 
brought  one  more  thing,  and  so  on.  They  seemed 
to  have  great  ideas  of  fair  and  honest  dealings,  and 
in  order  to  encourage  that  feeling,  Captain  Parry 
would  not  allow  any  present  to  be  made  to  them 
till  all  the  purchases  were  concluded. 

"The  old  man  was  very  inquisitive,  and  particu- 
lar about  things  of  the  useful  kind.  The  young 
man  was  in  raptures  at  the  sight  of  a  looking-glass, 
and  jumped  about  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  while 


i'« 


% 


'  w 


64 


IfORTHERN  REGIONS. 


the  old  man  giving  one  smile  at  the  sight  of  his 
queer  old  phiz,  turned  his  attention  to  the  tin  can- 
nister  of  preserved  meat,  most  earnestly  watching 
the  manner  in  which  it  was  opened :  this  was  with 
a  mallet,  which  he  begged  very  earnestly  to  have 
when  it  was  done  with,  without  ever  asking  for  the 
meat.  Their  canoes  are  very  difficult  to  balance, 
and  we  were  pleased  to  observe  the  younger  man 
carefully  assist  the  old  one  in  launching. 

"  We  visited  the  two  Esquimaux  tents,  and  as 
soon  as  we  came  in  sight  of  them,  every  living  an- 
imal, men,  women,  children,  and  dogs,  set  up  one 
uproar ;  the  only  words  we  could  distinguish  being 
"  pilletay"  (give  me.)  Though  they  were  begging 
all  the  time  we  were  with  them,  we  did  not  find 
them  at  all  inclined  to  dishonesty,  and  we  purcha- 
sed a  variety  of  things  from  them,  and  among 
others,  my  fine  fellow  of  a  dog  there,  Charles, 
whom  you  have  such  a  fancy  to  beg  from  me.  I 
offered  an  axe  for  one  of  the  dogs,  and  I  gave  it 
to  a  woman  who  was  the  owner  of  several,  before 
I  received  the  dog,  to  show  her  that  I  trusted  to 
her  honesty,  and  she  went  and  picked  out  for  me 
the  finest  among  them. 

"  These  Esquimaux  were  all  very  little,  with 
round  plump  faces,  and  not  very  dark  complex- 
The  dresses  of  the  men  and  women  are 


ions. 


much  alike,  being  composed  chiefly  of  se^l-skins. 
Their  tents  are  formed  by  one  long  strip  of  whale- 
bone covt.ed  with  skins,  and  fastened  to  the 
ground  by  crooked  pieces  of  bone.  Their  dogs,  I 
need  scarcely  tell  you,  resemble  wolves,  and  are 
voracious  enough. 

"  We  took  leave  of  these  people  with  a  favour- 
able impression  of  their  honesty  and  cleanhness, 
when  compared  with  the  Esquimaux  who  had  been 


NORTHERN    REGIONS. 


65 


sight  of  his 
the  tin  can- 
ly  watching 
is  was  with 
Btly  to  have 
dng  for  the 
to  balance, 
unger  man 

nts,  and  as 
y  living  an- 
,  set  up  one 
^uish  being 
re  begging 
id  not  find 
ive  purcha- 
nd  among 
,  Charles, 
•om  me.  I 
I  gave  it 
al,  before 
trusted  to 
»ut  for  me 

ttle,  with 
complex- 
omen  are 
e^l-skins. 
ofwhale- 
d  to  the 
r  dogs,  I 
and  are 

favour- 
mliness, 
lad  been 


i 


•^i 


met  with  in  former  voyages.  The  inlet  of  the 
River  Clyde  is  a  very  magnificent  one,  and  after 
exploring  it  with  considerable  interest,  we  once 
again  saiied  southwards.  The  ice  and  fog  were 
very  troublesome  in  the  middle  of  Bailin*s  Bay, 
and  we  had  a  series  of  adventures  similar  to  those 
we  had  experienced  in  sailing  up  it,  but  we  were 
now  more  experienced,  and  were  steering  home- 
wards, which  enabled  us  to  bear  up  bravely  in  the 
midst  of  our  trials. 

"  September  the  24th  we  ciosscd  the  Arctic 
Circle,  having  been  within  it  more  than  fourteen 
months,  and  after  that,  finding  the  state  of  the  ice 
would  prevent  us  from  continuing  to  explore  the 
coast,  we  hoisted  in  our  boats  and  made  the  ships 
snug,  in  order  to  shape  our  course  to  England." 

"Pray  let  me  ask  you,  uncle,  before  you  quite 
reach  home,  whether  you  are  really  of  opinion  that 
a  passage  will  ever  be  eflfected  from  Baflin's  Bay 
toBehring's  strait?"  asked  Tom,  who  always  liked 
to  have  every  thing  clearly  arranged  in  his  mind. 

"I  feel  no  doubt  that  there  is  a  continuance  of 
sea  between  them,  and  if  land  could  be  met  with 
all  the  way  it  might  be  navigated,  but  not,  I  fear, 
otherwise.  The  obstructions  from  the  ice,  increase 
so  much  towards  the  middle,  that  if  that  barrier 
could  be  passed,  I  should  hope  the  rest  might  bo 
effected,  notwithstanding  the  short  season  for  sail- 
ing there,  and  the  rigours  of  the  climate.  At  all 
events  the  attempts  already  made  have  not  been 
utterly  useless,  since  the  whale  fishery  is  consider- 
ably extended  in  consequence  of  them. 

**  We  had  no  more  adventures,  but  were  favour- 
ed with  some  very  fine  appearances  of  the  Aurora 
Borealis.     We  took  leave  of  the  Griper  on  the  2d 

6* 


ii' 
'J 


# 


It 


I 


.1 


66 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


of  October,  reached  Scotland  on  the  29th,  and  I 
was  here,  my  boys,  to  receive  your  hearty  wel- 
come, on  the  3d  of  November,  1820." 


\—  ■'^:.i->'^  ':■■  *  -y ,  ,  .*-  . 


iV  ■  ~  I  ,i 


■''V;.  i 


PART  II. 


IlLa't,,!. 


.f.,,,  ^, 


CHAPTER  I. 


Uncle  Richard  had  gone  his  second  voyage 
with  Captain  Parry,  and  his  return  was  anxious- 
ly awaited  by  Tom  and  Charles,  both  of  whom 
had  been  left  behind,  notwithstanding  they  would 
willingly  have  accompanied  him ;  Charles,  indeed, 
was  too  young,  but  his  active  and  enterprising 
mind  made  him  particularly  well  suited  to  the  life 
of  a  sailor,  preparing  himself  for  which  occupied 
all  his  thoughts*  His  little  ship  Hecla  had  long 
since  given  way  to  one  of  larger  dimensions,  which,, 
made  under  the  auspices  of  Uncle  Richard,  was  an 
exact  model  of  the  real  Hecla;  this  he  generally 
kept  secured  in  a  dry  dock,  which  he  had  built  in 
a  recess  of  the  large  pool  near  the  house,  and  eve- 
ry now  and  then  the  sails  were  unfurled,  and  the 
breeze  ^vas  allowed  to  waft  it  across  the  water* 
His  constant  companion  was  ihe  Esquimaux  dog, 
whioh  his  uncle  had  left  as  bis  especial  charge,  and 
which  was  so  far  (amed  as  to  know  bow  to  obey 
the  voice  of  his  young  master,  although  he  was 
still  a  terror  to  all  stran^rers* 


%%^- 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


67 


Tom  had  made  another  short  cruise,  and  had 
added  to  his  store  of  information  much  valuable 
*^knowledge.  Nothing  escaped  his  observation,  and 
when  his  curiosity  was  once  excited,  he  had  no 
rest  until  he  had  learnt  all  he  could  upon  the  sub- 
ject of  it ;  he  had  never  felt  more  interested  than 
by  his  uncle  Richard's  narrative,  and  every  book 
in  the  study  had  been  searched  through  and 
through  for  accounts  of  northern  adventurers. 

January  1824  brought  no  news  of  uncle  Richard, 
but  our  youthful  sailors  were  summoned  by  their 
father,  to  hear  the  adventures  of  Captain  Frank- 
lin, who  had  been  sent  out  to  make  discoveries  on 
the  northern  coast  of  America. 

"  I  must  tell  you,"  said  their  father,  who  himself 
undertook  to  relate  these  adventures  to  his  sons, 
"  that  the  object  of  this  expedition  was  to  visit  the 
mouth  of  the  Copper-mine  River  in  North  Ameri- 
ca, and  from  thence  to  trace  out  the  northern 
coast  in  an  easterly  direction  ;  to  correct  the  geo- 
graphy of  that  part  of  the  world,  and  to  gain  such 
information  as  to  the  bays,  harbours,  and  rivers^ 
of  that  shore,  as  might  be  useful  to  Captain  Par- 
ry, or  any  future  voyager^ 

"  Captain  Franklin  was  accompanied  by  Dr.. 
Richardson,  Mr.  Back,  Mr.  Hood  and  James  Hep- 
burn, a  faithful  English  seaman  ;  the  whole  party 
embark  3d  at  Gravesend  on  board  the  Prince  of 
Wales,  on  the  23d  of  May,  1819.  This  ship  be- 
longed to  the  Hudson  Bay  trading  company,  and 
had  for  its  consorts  the  Eddy  stone  and  Wear.  The 
wind  was  unfavourable,  and  they  were  obliged  to 
anchor  at  Yarmouth,  where  an  unlucky  incident 
happened,  which  damped  the  sj  irits  of  the  party 
for  a  time.  The  officers  all  went  on  shore  at  Yar- 
niuutb,  when  a  favourable  gale  springmg  up,  the 


:  51 


11 


68 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


commander  of  the  vessel  found  it  necessary  to  set 
sail  immediately,  in  order  to  get  through  the  intri- 
cate passage,  called  the  Cockle-gat,  before  dark  ; 
he  fired  signal  guns,  and  his  passengers  hastened 
to  embark,  all  but  Mr.  Beck,  who  unfortunately 
was  gone  two  or  three  miles  distance,  on  business, 
along  the  coast,  wheie  he  fancied  he  should  be 
able  to  watch  the  first  movements  of  the  ships;  by 
some  accident,  however,  this  was  not  the  case,  and 
he  was  left  behind.  Tlic  ships  hnd  a  fair  wind, 
and  after  passing  the  bold  projecting  rock  called 
John  o'Groat's  House,  anchored  at  Stromness. 

**  It  was  thought  advisable  here  to  engage  boat- 
men to  accompany  the  expedition,  lest  the  party 
should  be  detained  when  they  arrived  in  Hudson's 
Bay,  and  therefore  a  notice  for  volunteer  boatmen 
was  put  up  on  the  church  door  of  every  parish." 

Tom.  **  That  seems  a  singular  way  of  letting 
people  know,  papa." 

"  It  would  by  no  means  be  an  effectual  way  in 
England,  Tom;  but  in  Scotland,  the  lower  classes 
never  fail  in  attending  divine  service  every  Sunday. 

"  The  notice  was  given,  and  the  day  fixed  upon 
for  a  meeting,  when  several  men  came,  but  none 
would  promise  to  attend  the  service,  th-^'  *^  some 
of  them  said  they  would  consider  about  *t ;  and  ac- 
cordingly, the  following  morning,  four  men  only 
presented  themselves,  who,  after  great  hesitation, 
agreed  to  accompany  the  party,  provided  they 
should  be  taken  no  farther  than  to  Fort  Chipewy- 
an,  and  sent  back  to  the  Orkneys  free  of  expense : 
this  caution  is  strikingly  different  from  an  English 
sailor,  who  enters  readily  mto  an  enterprise,  how- 
ever hazardous,  without  a  thought  or  inquiry. 

"  Captain  Franklin  and  his  companions,  having 
settled  this  affair,  were  about  to  sail,  and  were  in 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


60 


the  midst  of  the  gaieties  of  a  ball,  when  the  door 
opened  and  Mr.  Back  appeared,  who  had  travelled 
by  the  coach  for  nine  days  without  stopping  in  or- 
der to  reach  them  ;  it  seemed  that  he  came  down 
to  the  beach  near  Yarmouth  just  as  the  ships  were 
passing,  and  applied  to  a  boatman  to  row  him  to 
them,  who,  taking  advantage  of  his  anxiety  to  join 
the  ships,  asked  more  money  than  Mr.  Back  had 
about  him,  and  the  man  consequently  refused  to 
assist  him. 

"  On  the  16th  June  the  ships  weighed  anchor, 
cleared  some  dangerous  rocks  off  the  Pomona 
shore,  and  entered  at  once  into  the  Atlantic ;  their 
progress  was  so  slow,  that  it  was  the  latter  end  of 
July  before  they  entered  Davis's  Strait. 

"  The  ships  were  not  long  before  they  were  en- 
tangled in  a  heavy  stream  of  ice,  through  the  nar- 
row channels  of  which  they  steered  with  difficulty, 
for  the  weather  was  very  foggy  ;  one  of  the  ice- 
bergs was  one  hundred  and  forty-nine  feet  in 
height,  and  too  soon  were  our  voyagers  visited  with 
all  the  horrors  of  the  region  they  had  entered. — 
The  currents  ran  in  strong  eddies  between  the 
masses  of  ice,  and  the  Eddystone  was  perceived 
to  be  driving  rapidly  towards  one  of  these  masses. 

The  boats  of  the  Prince  of  Wales  and  the  Wear 
were  dispatched  to  assist  in  towing  the  Eddystone 
clear  of  the  bergs,  when  the  former  ship  was  dis- 
covered to  be  quite  unmanageable  ;  the  fog  pre- 
vented its  crew  from  seeing  which  way  it  w  as 
driving,  till  they  beheld  a  barren,  ragged  shore 
within  a  fewyards,  towering  over  their  mast  heads ; 
the  ship  almost  instantly  struck  with  violence  on  a 
point  of  rocks,  and  was  brought  close  to  the  shore ; 
the  blow  displaced  the  rudder,  and  the  current 
forcing  the  vessel  along,  an  alarming  prospect  open 


ill 


I 


ij 


I  :i  « 


a 

1 1 


'i 


: 


% 


NORTHERN  REGIbNS. 


ed  to  the  crew ;  on  one  side  was  a  steep  clifi' 
whose  summit  was  hid  in  fog,  and  on  the  other  a 
fimall  bay,  into  which  the  ship  was  at  length  tossed. 
Shipwreck  was  every  moment  expected,  till  another 
blow  from  the  rocks  replaced  the  rudder,  which  en- 
abled the  crew  to  take  advantage  of  alight  breeze, 
and  direct  the  ship's  head  away  from  the  cliff;  but 
the  breeze  was  only  for  a  moment ;  again  was  the 
ship  driven  to  shore,  and  again  rescued  by  a  swell, 
which  enabled  the  sailors  to  turn  her  head  once 
more  to  the  sea,  and  escape  from  the  danger  of 
shipwreck :  a  few  moments  only  were  allowed  them 
to  rejoice,  for  the  current  forced  the  ship  violently 
against  an  iceberg,  and  her  situation  was  more 
frightful  than  ever  ;  all  was  confusion,  the  female 
passengers  and  children  rushed  upon  deck  with 
fearful  looks,  in  spite  of  the  endeavours  of  the  offi- 
cers to  keep  them  below  ;  the  ship  was  driven  with 
amazing  rapidity  along  the  steep  side  of  the  berg, 
and  every  one  expected  that  it  would  be  dashed 
against  the  rocks,  but  it  escaped  this  danger  most 
providentially." 

"  Thank  goodness  it  was  not  the  Hecla,"  ex- 
claimed Charles ;  "  and  now,  papa,  pray  let  us 
hear  how  the  poor  consorts  fared." 

"  Stop,  Charles,  (answered  his  papa,)  for  the 
Prince  of  Wales  is  not  yet  safe  :  a  leak  was  dis- 
covered, which  let  in  water  very  fast.  All  hands 
were  employed  in  pumping,  and  signals  of  distress 
made  to  the  Eddystone,  whose  commander  came 
on  board,  and  set  his  men  to  assist.  The  leak,  not- 
withstanding, increased,  so  that  both  officers  and 
passengers  united  to  bale  out  the  water  in  buckets; 
the  sails  were  split,  and  the  ship  surrounded  by  ice. 
The  crew  were  obliged  to  rest  from  this  severe  la- 
bour for  a  short  time  in  the  night,  but  the  watei' 


\ 


f 


NORTH EUN  regions. 


71 


next  morninflf  was  so  alarmingly  increased,  thpt 
they  had  to  set  to  work  more  vigorously  than  be- 
fore— but  with  very  ill  success,  and  their  strength 
was  just  failing  them  when  the>  thought  of  trying 
an  experiment ;  this  was  of  thrusting  in  felt  and 
oakum,  over  which  they  nailed  a  plank,  and  before 
night,  to  their  great  joy,  the  leak  was  stopped  up. 
As  they  still  thought  that  they  sliould  be  forced  to 
leave  the  ship,  they  sent  their  old  women  and  chil- 
dren to  the  Eddystone  ;  the  young  women  were  so 
active  at  the  pumps  that  they  were  allov.ed  to  re- 
main. 

"  Their  own  ship  was  now  in  safety,  but  when 
daylight  re-appeared  the  Wear  was  no  where  to  be 
found,  and  all  feared  that  she  had  been  shipwreck- 
ed on  that  barren  shore.'* 

Tom.  "  But,  papa,  you  have  not  told  us  what 
shore  it  was." 

"  It  was  Resolution  Island,  at  the  very  entrance 
of  Hudson's  Strait. 

*'  The  ships  were  now  abreast  of  this  island,  but 
did  not  land  here,  proceeding  to  Saddleback  Island, 
the  next  place  of  rendezvous,  where  still  they  found 
no  traces  of  the  Wear.  JXot  thinking  it  prudent  to 
wait,  they  continired  their  voyage,  and  soon  made 
Upper  Savage  Ish  nd,  where  they  steered  close  to 
shore,  in  order  to  allow  the  Esquimaux  to  visit 
them.  A  loud  shout  soon  proclaimed  a  party  of 
them  at  hand,  even  before  their  canoes  could  be 
perceived. 

'*  They  brought  with  them  oil,  whalebone,  sea- 
horses' teeth,  seal-skin  dresses,  deer  skins  and 
horns,  and  models  of  their  canoes ;  and  they  re- 
ceived in  exchange  small  saws,  nails,  tin  kettles^ 
knives,  and  needles. 

'*  Captain   Franklin   noticed   a  droll  practice 


n 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


f 


among  these  Esquimaux,  which  I  do  not  remeiu- 
ber  uncle  Richard  to  have  mentioned,  which  is, 
that  they  always,  when  they  received  a  thing  in 
exchange,  licked  it  with  their  tongues,  as  a  finish 
to  the  bargain,  and  as  a  sign  that  it  now  belonged 
to  themselves.  Even  so  small  an  article  as  a  nee- 
dle passed  through  this  ceremony. 

**  Knives  and  saws  were  held  in  the  greatest 
estimation; and  the  same  shout  was  setli[»  when- 
ever they  received  any  thing  that  pleased  them. 

**  One  old  man  received  a  rusty  sword  from  the 
Eddystone,  and  his  exclamations  of  delight  were 
extravagant. 

**  These  people  had  some  ingenuity,  considering 
that  they  are  without  iron,  and  consequently  with- 
out any  instruments  for  working  with ;  the  figures 
of  men,  women,  animals,  and  birds  carved  out  of  sea 
horses'  teeth,  which  the  women  brought,  were  not 
badly  executed,  though  without  eyes,  fingers,  or 
ears.  They  took  a  delight  in  mimicking  the  sounds 
and  gestures  of  the  Englishmen,  and  laughed  ama- 
zingly when  the  Englishmen  pronounced  any 
of  their  words.  On  the  whole  these  Esquimaux 
were  very  similar  to  those  whom  Captain  Parry 
had  seen,  and  as  great  beggars. 

"  Captain  Franklin  took  leave  of  this  band  of 
Esquimaux,  and  a  favourable  gale  soon  took  our 
voyagers  to  the  termination  of  Hudson's  Strait. 
Here  they  parted  with  the  Eddystone,  who  was 
bound  to  Moose  Factory,  which  you  will  find  mark- 
ed on  the  map  at  the  bottom  of  the  bay,  and  shap- 
ed their  course  across  to  York  Factory,  where  to 
their  great  delight  they  found  theii*  long  lost  con- 
sort the  Wear.  Her  adventures  were  shortly  told : 
a  large  mass  of  ice  had  drifted  in  between  the  ship 
and  the  rock  and  thus  providentially  saved  her ; 


¥^^ 


ir 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


73 


es,  as  a  finish 


tide  as  a  nee- 


and  a  fresh  breeze  had  sprung  up  and  enabled  her 
to  pursue  her  voyage.  The  cumuiunder  visited  the 
Prince  of  Wales,  and  was  received  as  one  saved 
from  the  dead. 

"  York  Factory,  which  you  will  find,  Tom,  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Hays  River,  is  a  grand  depot  of 
Hudson's  Bay  Trading  Company.  The  principal 
buildings  are  in  the  form  of  a  square,  two  stories 
high,  and  have  flat  roofs  covered  with  lead  ;  the 
servants'  houses  are  ranged  on  the  outside,  and 
the  whole  is  fenced  by  a  high  mound.  It  is  built 
on  a  marshy  spot  of  ground,  and  the  only  walk  the 
people  have  is  on  a  platform,  from  the  build  in  <ts 
iiuwn  to  the  pier. 

*•  A  race  of  Indians  called  the  Swampy  Crees^ 
frequent  the  neighbourhood,  and  live  encamped  on 
the  outside  ;  and  listen,  Charles,  to  a  new  mode, 
and  I  think  rather  an  ingenious  one,  of  making 
tents.  These  Indians  tie  a  bundle  of  poles  together 
at  the  top,  spread  them  out  at  the  base,  and  cover 
them  with  moose  skins.  The  fire  is  in  the  middle, 
and  a  hole  left  at  top  for  the  smoke  to  escape 
through.  These  poor  wretches  w  ere  suffering  from 
the  evils  of  measles  and  hooping-cough,  and  were 
too  weak  to  make  their  usual  exertions  in  the 
goose-hunt,^* 

Charles.  The  goose-hunt !  what  can  that 
mean,  papa  ? 

"  The  geese  which  fiock  in  great  numbers  to 
the  northern  regions,  migrate  in  the  winter,  and 
in  their  road  to  the  south,  alight  on  the  extensive 
fiats  in  the  neighbourhood  of  York  Factory,  and 
are  hunted  by  the  Indians,  who  thus  supply  the  tra* 
ders  with  their  winter  store  of  food. 


.!  - 


r 


74 


NORTHERN  REOTONS. 


**  And  now  our  .venturous  little  party  com- 
menced their  vo^ag(  ,)  -he  river  into  the  interior. 
Witli  the  exception  of  u  ?!eersinun,  they  were 
obliged  to  be  content  with  the  boatmen  they  had 
brought  from  Stromnes-J.  They  found  it  equally 
diiiicult  to  procure  an  Esquimaux  interpreter,  but 
the  governor  of  York  Factory  promised  to  send 
them  one  the  following  spring.  And,  alas,  when 
all  their  stores  were  brought  down  to  the  beach,  it 
was  found  the  boat  would  not  contain  them.  The 
flour,  rice,  and  tobacco,  therefore,  were  left  to  be 
forwarded  afterwards, as  the  governor  assured  Cap. 
tain  Franklin  that  these,  as  well  as  spirits,  could  be 
procured  in  the  interior. 

"  With  a  salute  of  guns  from  the  fort,  and  three 
cheers  from  its^inhabitants,  they  took  their  leave,  in 
high  spirits  at  the  thoughts  of  their  journey. 

"  They  had  not  proceeded  far,  when  the  crew 
were  obliged  to  commence  trackings  or  dragging 
the  boat,  by  a  line  which  was  tied  round  their  bo- 
dies. This  tedious  process  was  particularly  unpleas- 
ant, as  the  men  had  to  walk  on  a  steep  bank  wh  ch 
the  rain  had  made  sof(  and  slippery,  and  every  now 
and  then  they  met  with  a  tree  which  had  fallen 
down  from  the  wood  above.  At  sunset  they  land- 
ed, kindled  a  fire,  around  which  they  ate  their  sup- 
per, and  then,  dressed  in  bufialo  robes,  laid  down 
and  slept  soundly. 

"In  passing  down  the  river  next  day,  they  saw 
the  spot  where  a  sad  event  had  happened  a  few 
years  before.  Two  Indian  families,  enticed  by  the 
flat  beach  which  lay  between  the  river  and  a  cliff, 
had  chosen  it  for  their  encampment.  They  retired 
quietly  to  r^st,  when  the  cliff,  which  was  separated 
from  the  land,  gave  way,  fell  over  them,  and  the 
whole  party  was  buried  in  its  ruins. 


-ta. 


NORTHERN    REGIONS. 


75 


e  party  com- 

D  the  interior. 

[i,  tlicy  were 

rieii  thev  had 

111(1  it  equally 

terpreter,  but 

iiised  to  send 

d,  alus,  when 

the  beach,  it 

them.     The 

>^ere  left  to  be 

assured  Cap. 

irits,  could  be 

3rt,  and  three 
their  leave,  in 
ourney. 
len  the  crew 
,  or  dragging 
und  their  bo- 
arly  unpleas- 
p  bank  wh  ch 
nd  every  now 
had  fallen 

et  they  land- 
ite  their  sup- 

s,  laid  down 


(( 


With  much  fatigue,  our  party  continued  their 
voyage  down  the  river,  though  their  progress  was 
slow,  owing  to  the  heavy  lading  of  the  boat,  anil 
the  rapids. 

**  To  navigate  these  North  American  rivers  is 
very  different  from  any  species  of  navigation  you 
have  a  notion  of,  Charles.  In  the  first  place,  the 
rapids,  which  are  strong  currents  of  water,  over 
rocky  bottoms,  are  very  diOicult  and  dangerous  to 
pass  ;  besides  these,  there  are  every  now  and  then 
what  are  called  portages,  or  places  through  which 
the  boats  cannot  pass,  but  nmst  be  emptied  of  their 
cargo,  which,  as  well  as  the  boats  themselves,  have 
to  be  carried  across  and  re!a  len  at  the  end  of  ev- 
ery portage.  The  Orkney  boatmen  were  very 
clever  in  navigating,  and  ther  exertions  amazing  : 
they  often  jumped  intothe  water  tolift  the  boat  over 
the  rocks,  and  remained  the  whole  day  in  their  wet 
clothes.  These  men  will  carry  immense  loads 
with  the  utmost  cheerfulness. 

*'  Winter  set  in  with  a  great  fall  of  snow  in  the 
middle  of  September,  and  found  our  travellers  pur- 
suing their  course  down  Steel  and  Hill  Rivers  till 
they  arrived  at  a  depot  on  Swampy  Lake.  From 
the  two  only  inhabitants  of  the  place  they  received 
a  supply  of  mouldy  pemmican,  which  is  buffalo 
meat  dried,  pounded,  and  mixed  with  melted  fat. 
Leaving  them  to  their  delicious  fare,  Capt.  Frank- 
lin proceeded,  when  lo  !  a  blazing  forest  met  his 
eye." 

Charles.  Why  this  is  more  wonderful  than 
the  walking  wood  which  met  William  the  Con- 
queror, papa  ? 

"  Very  true,  Charles  ;  the  Indians  make  fires  in 
the  woods,  and  neglect  to  put  them  out,  and  the 


if 


i 


76 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


I    *i 


li     III 


woods  being  quite  dry,   easily  catch  the  tianies^ 
which  sometiioes  spread  for  many  miles. 

"  On  the  2d  of  October  the  travellers  crossed 
the  White-fall  Lake,  w'lere  they  had  busy  work 
in  carrying  the  cargoes  on  their  shoulders,  and 
launching  their  empty  boat  across  several  ridges  of 
rock  which  separate  the  water,  and  cause  various 
cascades.  The  rude  grandeur  of  the  mountain 
scenery  struck  them  much  ;  rocks  hung  over  rocks 
in  huge  and  shapeless  masses,  while  the  torrent 
raged  at  their  feet,  and  the  bright  green  of  the 
mosses  which  covered  the  face  of  the  cliffs,  was 
finely  contrasted  with  the  dark  pines  on  the  top. 

**  On  this  spot,  they  met  with  a  lop  stick,  or 
land-mark,  made  of  a  pine  tree  sitripped  of  all  its 
branches  except  a  tuft  at  the  top. 

'*  This  lop  stick  is  a  useful  guide  to  travellers, 
and  is  generally  made  by  some  ambitious  youth, 
who  gets  together  a  parcel  of  young  companions, 
treats  them  with  rum,  and  they  in  return  strip  the 
tree  of  its  branches,  and  name  it  with  his  name. 

"  Captain  Franklin  here  met  with  a  little  acci- 
dent, which  will  give  you  some  idea,  Charles,  of 
the  pleasure  of  walking  in  that  peculiar  country. — 
While  overlooking  the  men,  a  bed  of  moss  gave 
way  under  his  feet,  and  he  slipt  from  the  summit 
of  the  rock  into  the  river  between  two  falls.  After 
being  carried  some  way  down  the  stream ,  he  caught 
hold  of  a  willow,  till  two  gentlemen  came  in  a  boat 
to  his  rescue. 

"  Nor  was  the  water  travelling  much  less  danger- 
ous. Sometimes  they  came  to  dry  channels  which 
contained  only  a  foot  or  two  of  thin  mud.  A  dam 
alone  would  render  these  places  na^^igable,  and 
here  and  there  they  met  with  one  constructed  by 
beavers,  which,  notwithstanding  their  usefulness. 


b  the  iianies; 
liles. 

jllers  crossed 
d  busy  work 
oulders,  and 
eral  ridges  of 
cause  various 
he  mountain 
ng  over  rocks 
J  the  torrent 
green  of  the 
e  cliffs,  was 
i  on  the  top. 
lop  stick,  01 
tped  of  all  its 

to  travellers, 
itious  youth, 
companions; 
urn  strip  the 
th  his  name, 
a  little  acci- 
Charles,  of 
ir  country. — 
)f  moss  gave 
the  summit 
)  falls.  After 
m,  he  caught 
ime  in  a  boat 

less  danger- 
mnels  which 
ud.  A  dam 
^igable,  and 
istructed  by 
usefulness. 


NORTHERN    REGIONS. 


77 


m 

M 


the  Indians  make  a  point  of  destroying  whenever 
they  meet  them.  In  a  single  night  would  these 
industrious  little  animals  repair  the  opening  that 
the  passage  of  a  boat  Had  made  in  their  dam. 

It  was  early  in  October  that  Captain  Franklin 
landed  at  Norway  House,  on  the  shores  of  Lake 
Winnipeg,  or  muddy  water.  The  water  of  this 
lake  is  in  fact  very  muddy,  and  a  droll  story  is  told 
by  the  Indians  to  account  for  it.  One  of  their  dei- 
ties, according  to  their  account,  is  a  very  mischiev- 
ous little  fellow,  a  kind  of  Robin  Puck  ;  his  name 
is  Weesakootclmst,  and  he  has  a  good  deal  of  pow- 
er, which  he  employs  in  tormenting.  One  day, 
howev^er,  an  old  woman  caught  him  and  took  him 
prisoner,  and  calling  in  a  number  of  other  women 
to  help  her,  they  so  covered  him  with  mud,  that  it 
took  all  the  waters  of  the  great  lake  to  make  him 
clean  again,  and  the  lake  has  appeared  muddy 
ever  since. 

"  After  crossing  this  *  Muddy  Lake,'  they  reach- 
ed the  '  Grand  Rapid'  of  the  Saskatchawan  river. 
The  foam  of  the  water  w .  ich  dashes  over  the  rocks, 
and  forces  its  way  through  a  narrow  bending  chan- 
nel, is  a  very  grand  sight ;  here  a  flock  of  pelicans 
and  some  brown  eagles  were  Ashing,  undisturbed 
by  the  roaring  of  the  cataract,  while  some  beautiful 
golden  plovers,  cross-beaks,  and  woodpeckers, 
were  fluttering  about.  A  delicate  little  marmot 
was  caught  who  bore  in  his  pouch  a  store  of  vetch 
for  winter  use. 

They  crossed  the  woods  to  the  top  of  the  *  '^rand 
Rapid,*  where  the  scenery  was  very  fine,  and 
pitched  their  tents  at  Cross  Lake,  where  their  night 
was  enlivened  with  a  most  brilliant  display  of  the 
Aurora  Borealis. 

'    .      7*  '    ■■■    ■ 


.^f 


:4 


78 


NORTHERN    REGIOIVS. 


'»'« 


**  After  travelling    in   this  laborious   manner 
through  scenes  of  wild  and  desolate  grandeur,  they 
were  not  sorry  to  reach  the  depot  of  the  Hudson 
Bay's  Company  at  Cumberland  House,  where  Cap- 
tain  Franklin  determined  to  stop  till  the  winter 
months  were  over.  It  was  great  enjoyment  to  l^ave 
their  canoes  for  a  time,  and  travel  about  in  sledges 
drawn  by  dogs,  who  seemed  as  pleased  with  the 
exercise  as  the  men  themselves.     The  indians  in 
the  neighbourhl)od  of  this  depot  were  in  an  equally 
miserable  state  as  those  at  Vork  Factory,  the  hoop- 
ing-cough, hunger, and  thj  measles,  making  sad 
havoc  among  them.     Illness  prevented  them  from 
hunting,  and,  shocking  to  relate,  instances  were 
mentioned  to  Captain  Franklin  of  people  who  had 
been  reduced  to  the  necessity  of  devouring  the  bo- 
dies of  their  own  family  to  satisfy  their  hunger* 
Another  sad  thing  is, that  those, who  are  recovering 
themselves,  give  way  to  such  excessive  grief  and 
•despondency  at  the  loss  of  their  wives  and  chil- 
dren, that  they  cannot  be  roused  to  exertion." 

Tom*  I  wonder,  papa,  that  more  cannot  be  done 
to  assist  the  natives  by  European  traders  there. 

"  It  is  melancholy  indeed,  for  if  these  poor  peo- 
ple could  be  instructed  in  Christianity,  their  minds 
would  be  supported  and  consoled  in  the  midst  of 
their  hardships.  This  must  however  be  a  work  of 
time,  and  as  Captain  Franklin  states  t!iat  the  pre- 
sent Governor  is  endeavouring  to  establish  asch  >ol 
for  the  younger  Indians,  I  should  hope  that  it 
would  be  effected  by  degrees. 

"  Christmas  and  New-Year's  day  were  kept  up 
with  jollity  by  this  party  of  Europetins  in  the  midst 
of  the  wilds  of  America,  and  a  beaver  was  sacrifi- 
ced to  their  enjoy  ment^  the  flesh  of  which  they 


.iLMk 


NORTHERN    REGIONS. 


79 


.'^ 


found  very  delicate.     They  were  joined  in  their 
evening  dances  by  the  Canadians. 

"  In  fixing  their  arrangements  for  the  future, 
Captain  Frankhn  determined  upon  taking  Mr. 
Back  and  Hepburn  with  him  into  the  Athabasca 
departments,  from  whence  guides,  hunters  and  in- 
terpreters could  best  be  procured,  whilst  Dr.  Rich- 
ardson and  Mr.  Hood  should  reinain  at  Cumber- 
land House  till  the  spring,  and  then  proceed  with 
the  stores  to  Fort  Chipewyan,  With  regard  to 
the  Stromness  boatmen,  it  was  settled  that  they 
should  be  despatched  to  York  factory,  to  fetch  up 
the  remaining  stores,  and  then  return  to  the  coast, 
to  be  ready  for  the  first  ship  that  might  sail  to  the 
Orkneys. 

**  Having  thus  arranged  their  plans  for  the  future, 
they  had  leisure  to  study  the  manners  and  habits  of 
the  hordes  of  Oree  Indians,  by  which  the  establish- 
ment was  surroundeci.  The  misery  these  Indians 
endured  at  this  time,  from  the  measles  and  hooping- 
cough,  united  with  cold  and  hunger,  was  extreme. 
One  night,  an  Indian  man  came  into  one  of  the 
houses,  carrying  in  his  arms  the  body  of  a  dead 
child ;  he  was  followed  by  his  wife,  ajid  they  told 
a  sad  tale :  they  had  heeo  out  hunting,  they  said, 
but  had  found  no  food  ;  and,  while  suffering  the 
pangs  of  hunger,  they  had  all  been  taken  ill.  So 
accustomed  is  an  Indian  to  a  state  of  starvation,  that 
they  did  not  dwell  much  on  that  part  of  their  suf- 
ferings. Their  journey  to  Cumberland  House  was 
a  most  terrible  one  ;  weakened  with  illness  and  of- 
ten with  nothing  to  eat  but  a  bit  of  skin,  or  a  few 
berries,  which  were,  at  length,  exhausted.  For  the 
last  four  days  they  had  nt)thing  to  eat,  and  all 
their  aaxious  endeavours  coald  not  save  the  life  of 
their  child ;  it  died  just  as  they  came  in  sight  of 


h 


t' 


('3? 


.^ 


NORTHERN   REGIONc*. 

Cumberland  House.  The  poor  parents  were  in- 
consolable, the  father  in  particular,  who  when 
food  was  offered  him,  threw  it  from  him,  exclaim- 
ing *  Oh  my  poor  child  !* 

*'  It  must  be  allowf^d  that  these  Crqe  Indians  are 
improvident  and  indolent,  but  they  are  not  without 
some  i^ood  feelings,  as  this  anecdote  proves  :  they 
are  hos()itable  and  peaceable.  Their  faults  are 
easily  accounted  for ;  as  they  are  hunters,  accus- 
tomed to  depend  upon  chance  for  their  food,  they 
care  little  for  the  morrow.  They  have  a  habit  of 
boasting,  which  is,  I  suppose,  to  give  their  ene- 
mies an  idea  of  their  strength,  and  are  ridiculously 
fearful  of  the  conjuring  powers  oftheir  neighbours. 
There  are  noted  conjurors,  whose  saying  is,  *I  am 
God-like;'  and  who  delude  their  countrymen  in  all 
manner  of  ways.  One  of  these  mighty  conjui*ors 
visited  Cumberland  House,  and  gave  out  that  al- 
though his  hands  and  feet  should  be  tied  quite  fast, 
yet,  that  if  he  were  placed  in  a  conju ring-house,  he 
would  undertake  to  summon  two  or  three  familiar 
spirits  who  would  unloose  him.  Accordingly  a 
conjuring  house  was  made  for  him  by  fastening  four 
willows  in  the  ground,  and  enclosing  them  in  a 
hoop  at  the  top  :  a  quantity  of  ropes  were  fastened 
round  his  body  by  which  he  was  held  fast,  and  a 
moose-skin  was  thrown  all  over  to  conceal  him.  He 
began  a  kind  of  chaunt,  but  the  Indians,  who  think 
much  more  of  the  powers  of  a  white  man,  than  of 
those  of  a  spirit,  began  to  fear  for  him  ;  at  last  the 
conjuring-house  shook  violently.  "  One  spirit  at 
least  is  gone  into  him,'  said  the  Indians  ;  but  alas  ! 
no  :  it  was  only  the  *  God-like  man,'  trembling 
with  cold,  for  he  had  gone  in  naked.  He  con- 
tinued his  attempts  for  a  few  hours,  when,  find- 
ing no  spirits  to  release  him,  he  reluctantly  gave  up 


■  l^^ 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 

his  attempt.  The  fact  was,  that  whenever  the  In- 
dians had  tied  the  cords,  he  had  found  no  ditKculty 
in  shppin<r  the  noose  ;  but  Governor  Williams  had 
!ied  this  knot  himself,  and  took  care  there  should 
be  no  trick :  after  this  discovery  the  fellow  soon 
contrived  to  sneak  away  from  the  place. 

**  The  Cree  women  are  forced  to  work  very 
hard,  they  make  the  huts,  dress  the  skins,  cook,  and 
carry  all  the  heavy  loads  ;  though  when  any  thing 
disables  them,  the  men  are  not  ashamed  to  assist 
them.  One  poor  man's  wife  had  lost  her  feet  by 
the  frost,  and  he  was  obliged  to  hunt  and  do  every 
thing  for  himself;  and  in  winter  he  diagged  his 
wife  and  all  his  stock  of  furniture  from  one  en- 
campment to  another. 

"  Both  men  and  women  are  excessively  fond  of 
their  children,  and  rarely  punish  them.  Some- 
times the  woman,  whose  temper  is  warm,  cannot 
avoid  givmg  a  biow  or  two  to  a  troublesome  child, 
but  her  hearf  is  directly  softened  by  the  roar  which 
follows,  and  she  mingles  her  tears  with  those  that 
streak  the  smoky  face  of  her  little  dear. 

**  The  mannevs  and  customs  of  the  Crees  are 
jnuch  changed  siuce  their  intercourse  with  Euro- 
peans, but  still  they  are  sufficiently  peculiar. 

"  They  are  allowed  two  or  more  wives  at  a 
time,  and  when  a  young  Cree  marries  his  first 
wife,  he  takes  up  his  abode  in  her  father*^  tent, 
and  hur.^**  for  the  family  •  he  generally  marvies  for 
his  second  wife,  the  sister  of  his  first;  who  still  re- 
mains mistress  of  the  tent;  when  he  has  childien 
he  may  have  a  separate  tent  if  he  pleases ;  but  as 
long  as  he  remains  in  his  father-in-law's  tent,  he 
keeps  up  very  little  intercourse  with  his  father  and 
mother-in-law. 


't- 


m 


'.! 


iy 


32 


NORTHERN    REGIONS. 


v>!'!-'H|:;i 


The  Crees  have  several  games,  one  of  which 
is  called  mitten,  and  is  played  with  four  balls,  three 
plain  ones  and  one  marked ;  these  four  balls  are 
hid  under  four  mittens,  and  a  person  is  desired  to 
guess  which  is  the  marked  ball ;  if  he  guesses  right 
he  receives  a  feather,  if  wrong  he  gives  one  ;  they 
have  ten  feathers,  and  when  one  person  has  got 
them  all  in  his  hand,  they  begin  over  again,  and  di- 
vide the  feathers  equally  between  the  players ;  and 
if  ihe  same  person  gets  the  feathers  three  times, 
he  has  won  the  game,  and  receives  the  stakes. 

"  They  have  another  game  called  the  platter, 
which  is  more  intricate.  They  take  about  eij^ht 
bear's  claws,  which  are  covered  with  lines  ;  these 
they  shake  in  a  wooden  bowl,  toss  them  up  in  the 
air  and  catch  them^again ;  the  claws  are  cut  straight 
at  the  broad  end,  and  if  they  happen  to  stand  up- 
right on  this  b;».;ad  end  when  they  come  down 
again,  they  couiit  the  lines  on  the  uppermost  part, 
aud  receive  so  many  counters  from  the  person 
they  are  playing  with.  -       " 

*'  They  likewise  play  at  a  game  called  the  cross, 
in  which  they  have  high  stakes ;  these  stakes  are 
either  tied  to  a  post,  in  a  large  pasture  chosen  for 
the  game,  or  given  to  the  care  of  two  old  men. — 
Two  parties  prepare  for  the  contest  by  being  ran- 
fred  on  each  side  the  field,  stripped,  painted,  and 
armed  with  a  kind  of  battledore  in  the  shape  of  the 
letter  P;  the  handle  of  this  battledore  is  of  some 
length,  aud  its  Lead  is  made  of  loose  net-work, 
which  forms  a  shallow  bag  ;  this  is  called  the  cross. 
A  ball  is  thrown  up  into  the  air,  which  each  party 
try  either  to  knock  into  their  home  or  goal,  or  to 
catch  in  their  net  bags ;  if  they  succeed  in  doing 
this,  they  jerk  it  out  for  some  one  else  to  knock  it 
on  to  the  home,  and  the  other  party  are  just  as  ea* 


m 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


B3 


»gev  to  strike  it  back  to  their*s ;  this  kin<?  of  battle 
goes  oil  till  one  or  other  of  the  parties  gets  the  ball 
into  their  home,  which  decides  the  game. 

**  Tiie  ancient  traditions  of  the  Crees  are  so  min- 
gled with  the  stories  they  have  heard,   since  tliey 
have  known  Europeans,  that  it  is  not  very  easy  to 
get  a  knowledge  of  their  religious  principles  ;  tl»ey 
all,  however,  believe  in  a  general  flood,  which,  ac- 
cording to  their  tradition,  was  caused  by  the  fish 
who  attempted  to  drown  one  of  their   demi-gods, 
with  whom  they  had  quarrelled.  This  demi-god, 
whose  name  was  Woesack-ootchachto,  built  a  raft 
on  which  he  embarked  all  his   family  with   every 
kind  of  beast  and  bird ;  when  the   flood  had  cov- 
ered the  earth  a  longtime,  he  ordered  some  water- 
fowl  to  dive  to  the  bottom  ;  they  were  all  drowned, 
and  he  then  sent  a  musk-rat,  who  returned  bring- 
ing with  him  a  mouthful  of  mud,  with  which   the 
demi-god  made  a  new  earth,  imitating  the  manner 
in  which  rats  construct  their  houses ;  a  little  mound 
of  mud  first  appeared  above  the  water,  which  con- 
tinued  spreading  until    it   formed    an   extensive 
bank,  hardened  by  the  sun  into  a  solid  mass.   This 
clever  littlr-  demi-god,  however,  is  not  very  amia- 
ble, and  the  Indians  do  not  sacrifice  to  him. 

'*  They  have  another  deity,  named  Keepoochi- 
kawn,  whom  they  worship,  and  make  ofleringsto 
of  all  their  most  valuable  things  ;  they  represent 
him  by  a  rough  kind  of  huntan  figure,  or  by  tying 
the  tops  of  willows  together,  and  though  they  wor- 
ship him,  they  tretit  him  with  great  freedona, 
scolding  and  threalenirg  hinj  if  he  does  not  give 
them  all  the  food  they  want,  for  they  seldom  pray 
for  any  thing  else. 

"  A  Cree  hunter  resolved  to  dedicate  sor3e  oflTer- 
rings  to  this  god,  and  the  ibllowing  was  the  cere- 


«P^^*««&4 


-■.f 


S4 


NORTHERN  RECTONS, 


mony  of 'the  dedication.  Tlie  two  wives  of  the 
hufif  >jr  built  a  teinplii,  or  swcatiii^-house  of  arched 
wiiiovvs,  lari^e  enough  to  hold  about  twelve  men  ; 
in  shape  it  was  like  an  ovi^n,  and  was  covered  with 
moose  skins,  exceiit  ontheeast  side,  which  was  left 
open  to  serve  as  a  door ;  a  dozen  red  hot  stones, 
with  a  few  leaves  scattercid  about  them,  were  put 
into  a  hole  in  the  ground  in  the  centre  of  the  tent ; 
all  was  prepared  for  the  hunter,  who  came  forward : 
he  was  naked,  and  held  in  his  hand  an  image  of  the 
god,  rudely  carved;  this  he  placed  at  the  upper 
part  of  the  sweating-  house,  and  proceeded  to  fasten 
his  offerings  round  the  neck  of  the  image  ;  a  cotton 
handkerchief,  a  looking  glass,  a  tin  box,  a  piece  of 
ribbon,  and  a  morsel  of  tobacco  were  the  costly  of- 
ferings which  he  presented  to  the  god,  and  for 
which  he  had  paid  as  many  as  twenty  skins.  W  hile 
the  hunter  was  soengaged,  many  of  his  brother  In- 
dians entered  the  tent  after  undressing  themselves, 
and  ranged  themselves  on  each  side  ;  the  hunter 
squatted  down  on  the  floor  by  the  side  of  his  be- 
loved image,  and  made  a  speech  to  it,  told  it  what 
valuable  presents  he  had  made  it,  and  desired  it 
not  to  be  ungrateful.  He  then  set  up  a  hymn,  the 
chorus  of  which  was,  *  I  will  walk  with  god,  I  will 
go  with  the  animal,'  in  which  chorus  all  the  others 
joined  ;  then  he  took  a  pipe  filled  with  tobacco  and 
bear-berry  leaves,  and  moved  it  slowly  round  and 
round  over  the  red-hot  stones  ;  the  mouth  of  the 
pipe  was  then  held  to  that  of  the  image,  then  to- 

Mrds  the  earth,  and  then,  in  an  equally  solemn 
I*'  to  all  the  four  quarters  of  the  sky  ;  then  he 
drew  a  ^-^  whifis  from  the  pipe,  passed  it  to  his 
net  ur,  and  so  on  round  to  the  whole  party  ; 

when  jwe  pipe  was  emptied,  the  hunter  made  ano- 
^piv  prayer  to  the  god,  a  hymn  followed,  and  some 


ih:^ 


NORTHERN  REGIONS.  *       l9 

more  water  v;as  sprinkled  upon  the  hot'stones,  and 
the  attendants  closed  the  temple  by  covering  it 
with  moose  skins.  The  heat  was  intense,  not  only 
to  the  people  within,  but  to  the  spectators  on  the 
outside,  who  were  all  perspiring  freely  ;  the  wor- 
shippers remained  in  the  sweating-house  half  an 
fiour,  and  the  covering  was  then  thrown  off,  and 
the  half  stewed  beings  exposed  to  the  air;  after 
this  ceremony  was  quite  over,  the  sweaters  scam- 
pered off  to  the  river  and  plunged  into  it. 

**  With  regard  to  a  future  state,  an  old  Indian 
named  Blackfoot,  told  Captain  FrankHn,  that  it 
was  a  tradition  among  them,  that  the  souls  of  the 
dead  scramble  up  the  sides  of  a  steep  rock,  on  the 
top  of  which  they  find  a  beautiftil  plain  with  all 
sorts  of  game  in  it,  and  new  tents  pitched  here  and 
there  ;  they  then  see  the  inhabitants  who  come  up 
to  them,  and  in  new  seal-skin  dresses  welcome  the 
good  to  the  happy  land ;  while  those  who  have 
led  bad  lives,  are  sent  back  and  thrown  down  the 
steep  rock  which  they  had  been  ascending. 

**  Women  who  have  been  guilty  of  infanticide, 
or  of  killing  their  own  children,  are  never  admitted, 
into  the  happy  country,  but  wander  about,  with 
branches  of  trees  tied  to  their  legs.  They  are  sup- 
posed to  he  always  moaning,  and  in  still  summer 
evenings  the  screams  of  the  goatsucker  are  mista- 
ken for  the  groans  of  these  poor  women. 

"  The  painful  operation  of  tattooing  is  here 
practised  :  the  women,  in  general,  are  tattooed  only 
in  lines,  down  from  the  corners  of  the  mo^th  to 
the  lower  jaw  ;  but  the  men's  whole  bodie^^  arc 
completely  covfircd  with  lines  and  figures*  J|l  is 
considered  ratVer  as  a  proof  of  courage,  ti„f  ft  of 
ornament,  for  the  operation  is  «^  very  painfiu  one, 


;.  di! 


Ill' 


•'■  'ij 


I 


If 


l! 


1)  i 


h.iAM 


NORTIIERrv   REGIONS. 


and  lasts  several  days.  The  lines  in  the  face  art; 
made  by  a  kind  of  awl  which  pierces  the  skin,  un- 
der which  is  drawn  a  string  dipped  in  charcoal 
water.  The  lines  in  the  body  are  done  with  nee- 
dles set  in  a  frame.  A  number  of  hells  are  fixed 
to  the  frame,  which  by  tijeir  jingling  hide  the 
groans  of  the  person  who  h  !;Ging  tattooed,  singing 
also  goes  on  at  the  same  time.  One  of  the  In- 
dians who  had  his  arm  cut  offby  Dr.  Richardson, 
declared,  that  tattooing  was  much  the  most  pain- 
ful operation  of  the  two. 

**  The  seesequay,  a  kind  of  rattle,  and  the  Crcc 
drum,  are  the  two  musical  instruments  of  the 
people.  In  the  latter  they  have  great  faith  ;  an 
instance  may  be  given  in  the  poor  man  before 
mentioned,  who  came  to  the  fort  and  had  lost  his 
child;  exhausted  as  he  was  he  would  not  leave 
behind  an  enormous  drum,  which  he  carried  at 
his  back. 

**  I  could  relate  to  you,  my  boys,  a  number  of 
other  characteristics  of  these  wild  people,  which 
would  surprise  you,  but  I  am  anxious  to  accom- 
pany our  voyagers,  some  of  whom  now  prepared 
to  leave  Cumberland-house.'* 

"  Papa,  I  expect  some  extraordinary  adven- 
tures, for  I  think  they  have  got  into  a  wild  kind 
of  a  place,"  cried  Charles. 


f  <1,      .  "^iK->J. 


■  «r       .  '♦h:  «  '■ 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


87 


CHAPTER  II. 


*'  In  beginning  the  travels  of  our  countrymen,! 
must  describe  their  equipment,  which  you  will  think 
somewhat  extraordinary.  Their  snow  shoes  for  in- 
stance, which  you  must  not  im{\gine  to  resemble  the 
neat  leathei  shoes  which  so  exactly  fit  your  feet, 
Charles.  These  are  made  of  two  light  bars  of 
wood,  fastened  to*.  .er  at  each  end,  the  front  turn- 
ing up,  and  the  back  ending  in  a  point ;  the  spaces 
between  the  bars  are  filled  up  with  a  fine  netting 
formed  of  leather  strips  every  w^here  except  where 
the  feet  go  in.  They  are  so  contrived,  that  the 
heel  rises  while  the  back  of  the  shoe  goes  down, 
and  remains  level  with  the  snow ;  the  length  of 
this  elegant  little  shoe  is  from  four  to  six  feet,  and 
its  breadth  a  foot  and  a  half. 

"  A  capot,  or  fur  cap,  under  which  a  hood  is 
worn  in  cold  weather,  leather  trowsers,  and  Indian 
stockings,  with  a  blanket  over  all,  secured  round 
the  waist  by  a  belt,  in  which  is  suspended  afire-bag, 
knife  and  hatchet,  completed  the  dress  which  our 
travellers  put  on  for  their  journey. 

"  Their  sledges  were  made  of  two  or  three  flat 
boards  curved  up  in  front  and  fastened  by  cross 
bars  of  wood,  with  carioles,  or  pieces  of  leather, 
which  are  aflixed  to  the  sledge,  and  form  a  cover- 
ing for  the  lower  part  of  the  body,  and  each  sledge 
was  drawn  by  three  dogs. 

**  The  party  consisted  of  Captain  Franklia, 
Mr.  Back,  and  Hepburn,  and  several  sledges  full 
of  traders. 


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Hiotographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  MSSO 

(716)  872-4503 


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88 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


-  ■*",. 


"  When  they  were  on  their  second  day's  journey, 
they  met  Mr.  Isbester,  whose  employment  during 
the  winter  is  to  follow  and  find  the  Indians,  and 
get  their  furs  in  order  to  send  them  to  £ngland  and 
elsewhere.  And  little  do  we  think  of  the  trouble 
and  danger  there  is  in  procuring  this  luxury  and  or- 
nament ;  for  it  can  hardly  be  culled  a  necessary  in 
our  mild  climate.  He  was  going  in  search  of  a 
band  of  Indians,  of  whom  nothing  had  been  heard 
for  four  months,  and  his  only  guide  for  finding  them 
was,  that  they  had  promised  to  hunt  in  a  parti<*u!ar 
place  at  a  particular  time.  This  place  was  about 
six  or  seven  days'  journey  from  the  place  in  which 
he  then  was,  and  he  had  provisions  to  last  him  till 
he  could  reach  it ;  but  it  might  happen,  as  it  often 
had  before,  that  the  Indians  had  left,  and  that  a  fall 
of  snow  had  hidden  their  foot  marks,  and  then 
where  was  he  to  look  for  a  supply  of  food  ?  It  was 
not  many  weeks  before,  that  he,  and  his  s«^rvant> 
and  dogs,  were  four  days  without  food,  and  were 
just  9n  the  point  of  killing  one  of  the  dogs  to  satisfy 
their  hunger,  when  he  happily  met  with  the  Indians* 

"  Wolves,  red-deer,  and  foxe»  crossed  the  path 
of  our  travellers  several  times.  A  wolf  passed 
close  to  a  man  who  was  beating  a  track  in  the 
snow,  but  did  not  attempt  to  touch  him.  Wolves 
are  inferior  in  speed  to  the  red  or  moose  deeri 
whom  they  get  at  therefore  by  stratagem.  When 
they  see  a  herd  of  deer  grazing  near  a  cliff,  they  as- 
semble in  numbers,  form  a  crescent,  and  creep  gen* 
tly,  so  as  not  to  alarm  the  deer,  till  they  are  quite 
near  to  them.  When  they  have  surrounded  them 
so  that  the  deer  cannot  escape,  they  set  up  hideous 
yells,  which  so  terrify  these  poor  animals,  that  they 
set  off  full  speed  and  arc  easily  driven  down  tho 


"% 


f'l'tf 


s journey, 

nt  during 

lians,  and 

gland  and 

Se  trouble 

ry  and  or- 

cessary  in 

arch  of  a 

een  heard 

ding  them 

parti'^ular 

kvas  about 

3  in  which 

»t  him  till 

as  it  often 

that  a  fall 

and  then 

^?  It  was 

s*^rvant> 

and  were 

to  satisfy 

^Indians* 

the  path 

f  passed 

k  in  the 

Wolves 

)se  deerj 

I.  When 

',  they  as- 

eep  gen- 

ire  quite 

ed  them 

hideous 

hat  they 

wn  tho 


I'M 


/Wy# 


&ORTHERN  REGIONS. 


89 


cliff  by  their  enemies,  who  then  descend  at  leisure 
and  devour  the  mangled  carcases. 

**  The  country  through  which  Captain  Franklin 
was  now  travelling  was  not  utterly  desolate.  Here 
and  there  they  met  with  an  old  deserted  house,  in 
which  the  travellers  took  up  their  station  for  a 
night,  the  wolves  serenading  them  without  the  walls 
with  their  hideous  yells.  As  they  approached  Carl- 
ton House  their  provisions  became  very  scanty,  and 
the  dogs  were  allowed  to  eat  only  scraps  of  burnt 
leather  ;  the  cold  was  very  great,  and  even  whilst 
walking  they  had  difficulty  in  preventing  their  skin 
from  being  frozen.  They  were  delighted  there- 
fore to  reach  the  good  quarters  of  Carlton  House, 
where  they  were  hospitably  regaled  with  a  hot 
dish  of  buffalo  steaks. 

*'  Captain  Franklin  suffered  too  much  from  swef- 
led  ankles,  owing  to  walking  in  the  heavy  snow 
shoes,  to  proceed  immediately ;  Mr.  Back  and 
himself,  therefore,  went  to  visit  some  Stone  Indians 
who  lived  in  the  adjoining  plains.  The  character 
of  these  people  is  not  very  pleasing,  though  their 
looks  are  prepossessing ;  they  are  very  treacher- 
ous, and  dreadful  thieves,  particularly  of  horses, 
which,  they  say,  were  sent  by  the  Almighty  for  the 
general  use  of  man,  and  therefore  that  they  have 
a  right  to  take  them  wherever  they  find  them.  Be- 
sides this  they  strip  defenceless  people,  when  they 
meet  them,  of  all  their  clothes,  especially  those  who 
have  buttons  about  them,  and  leave  them  to  find 
their  way  home  without  them,  however  cold  the 
weather  may  be.  The  traders  have  such  a  drerd 
of  them  that  they  keep  men  on  guard  while  they 
sleep,  for  fear  of  being  surprised  by  these  people, 
who  do  not  hesitate  to  murder  if  they  caq.  These 

8* 


I 


00 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


Stone  Indians  arc  of  a  light  copper  colour,  with  a 
profusion  of  black  hair,  on  which  they  string  beads, 
buttons  and  small  coral  bells,  the  tinkling  of  which 
when  they  move  their  heads,  pleases  these  wild 
creatures.  Their  features  are  regular ;  they  ai'e 
tall  and  well  made,  and  their  dresses  neat  and  con^ 
venient.  A  waistcoat  and  trowsers  of  leather  cover 
their  body  closely,  and  a  buftalo  robe  thrown  grace- 
fully over  all.  These  dresses  are  cleaned  with 
white  mud,  a  kind  of  marl,  and  look  bright  contrast- 
ed with  their  jetty  locks.  Their  quiver  hangs  behind 
them,  and  in  their  hand  they  carry  a  bow  and  ar- 
row ready  for  attack  or  defence  ;  a  bag  ornament- 
ed with  porcupine  quills,  and  filled  with  materi- 
als for  lighting  a  fire,  a  calumet  or  pipe,  and  to- 
bacco completes  his  equipment.  The  Stone  In- 
dians are  on  friendly  terms  with  their  neighbours, 
the  Cress,  and  join  in  acts  of  hostility  to  the  Slave 
Indians,  who  are  like  themselves,  a  desperate  set 
of  men.  Captain  FrankHn  was  fortunately  pre- 
vented, by  a  fall  of  snow,  from  visiting  an  en- 
campment of  these  Stone  Indians,  for  though  they 
may  receive  a  visiter  kindly,  and  treat  him  hospi- 
tably, yet  they  generally  send  two  or  three  young 
men  to  waylay  and  rob  him  on  his  way  home." 

Charles.  '*  Oh  !  papa,,  wliat  a  disgusting  ac- 
count !  and  how  very  different  are  these  Stone 
Indians  from  the  poor  Crees,  who,  in  the  midst 
of  misery,  are  kind  hearted." 

"  I  agree  with  you,  Charles,  and  to  be  surround- 
ed with  such  human  beings,  must  be  far  worse  than 
to  be  left  alone  with  wolves  and  bears,  unless  there 
could  be  hopes  of  taming  and  civilizing  these  bar- 
barous people.  I  turn  with  pleasure  from  these 
barbarians  to  give  you  some  further  account  of  the 
Crces,  whose  encampment  in  the  same  neighbour- 


fc»'*fj 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


91 


hood  our  travellers  had  the  curiosity  to  visit,  as 
well  as  a  buffalo  pound.  Seven  tents  formed  the 
encampment ;  the  chief  occupied  the  largest,  and 
welcomed  them  with  a  hearty  shake  of  the  hand, 
and  *  What  cheer  !*  As  their  visit  had  been  ex- 
pected, the  tents  had  been  prepared  ;  fresh  grass 
was  strewed  upon  the  ground,  buffalo  robes  placed 
for  them  to  sit  upon,  and  the  kettle  upon  the  fire, 
ready  to  boil  meat.  Our  travellers  invited  the 
chief  to  smoke  with  them,  and  the  news  was  shout- 
ed through  the  camp,  which  brought  a  number  of 
hunters  to  join  the  party.  The  women  and  chil- 
dren withdrew,  according  to  the  etiquette  of  the 
country.  The  calumet  or  pipe  was  lighted,  and 
presented  to  the  chief,  who  pointed  it  to  the  south, 
west,  north,  and  oast,  and  then  to  the  heavens,  the 
earth,  and  the  fire,  as  an  offering  to  the  spirits  who 
presided.  He  then  took  three  whiffs,  gave  it  to 
another,  who  did  the  same,  and  so  it  went  round 
the  party.  Some  rum  and  water  was  then  present- 
ed to  the  chief,  who,  before  he  drank,  took  a  fea- 
ther, and,  dipping  it  in  the  cup,  sprinkled  some  up- 
on the  ground,  uttering  a  prayer  each  time.  He 
prayed  to  the  Great  Spirit,  that  buffaloes  might 
come  in  abundance  to  the  pound  ;  then  he  prayed 
that  other  animals,  and  particularly  those  whose  fur 
was  valuable,  might  be  plentiful ;  then  he  prayed 
that  the  whole  party  miprht  escape  sickness,  and  ma- 
ny other  prayers.  At  the  end  of  every  prayer  the 
hunters  cried  out  "  aha  :"  the  old  man  then  drank 
a  little,  and  passed  the  cup  round.  The  whole 
party  then  smoked  and  conversed,  and  our  tra sel- 
lers would  have  been  glad  enough,  if  their  inter- 
preters could  have  related  to  them  all  the  conver- 
sation, for  it  appeared  very  humorous,  and  pro- 
duced much  laughing  among  themselves. 


fi^ 


?'■• 


11 


i|i 


i2«B3KI' 


■\\m 


1 

I 


iNORTlIERN    REGIONS. 


Some  Stone  Indians  came  into  the  camp,  but 
one  only  of  them  entered  the  tent,  as  they  are  not 
;^reat  friends  with  the  Crces.  Captain  Franklin, 
by  means  of  the  interpreter,  bego^ed  the  Crees  to 
continue  to  behave  kindly  to  the  traders,  and  he 
jiromised  to  mention  their  good  conduct  to  their 
**  great  father"  beyond  the  sea,  which  is  the  name 
the  natives  give  to  the  king  of  England. 

**  The  buffalo  pound  was  a  circular  space,  fenc- 
ed in  and  banked  up  with  snow  at  the  entrance,  to 
prevent  the  buffaloes  from  getting  out,  after  they 
had  once  been  in.  For  about  a  mile  leading  to  the 
pound  a  number  of  tall  stakes  were  driven  into  the 
ground,  which  *he  buffaloes  mistake  for  men,  and 
which  prevent  them  from  running  out.  A  number 
of  Indians  lie  concealed  behind  branches  of  trees  at 
some  distance  froYn  the  povnids,  while  a  party  of 
horsemen  chase  the  buffalo  into  the  road  leading  to 
it.  They  shout  and  drive  on  the  poor  animals,  and 
as  they  get  nearer,  the  concealed  Indians  rise  and 
set  up  another  shout,  which  so  bewilders  the  buffa- 
loes, that  they  hurry  into  the  pound,  and  an  arrow 
or  gun  soon  despatches  them." 

Tom.  This  mode  of  hunting  the  buffalo,  papa, 
is  something  like  that  of  hunting  elephants  in  the 
island  of  Ceylon. 

Papa.  "  The  Crees,  who,  as  you  have  learn- 
ed from  what  I  have  related  to  you,  are  a  very  re- 
ligious people,  have  always  a  large  tree  in  the 
centre  of  the  pound,  on  which  they  hang  strips  of 
buffalo  skin,  as  grateful  offerings  to  the  Great  Mas- 
ter of  Life  ;  and  they  often  place  a  man  in  this 
tree  to  sing  to  the  presiding  spirit  until  the  hunt  is 
over  and.the  buffaloes  all  killed. 

**  Carlton  House,  which  is  a  little  provision  post 
for  the  traders  in  fur,  is  pleasantly  situated  near 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


1)3 


the  river.  The  land  about  it  is  fertile,  and  pro- 
duces wheat,  barley,  and  potatoes,  and  in  winter 
the  provisions  are  furnished  by  the  Indians  in  the 
form  of  dried  meat  and  fat.  A  steep  bank  rises 
above  the  house,  beyond  which  is  an  immeasurable 
plain,  in  travelling  across  which,  the  trader  finds 
his  horse  for  ever  stumbling  in  badger  holes,  and 
besides  suffering  from  thirst  and  hunger,  meets 
with  no  fuel  to  warm  him  except  the  dried  dung 
of  buffaloes.  '  7  *  j^  *      '^  ^  * 

"  Pemmican  is  the  principal  food  for  voyagers 
as  the  least  bulky,  and  is  made  of  buffalo  meat, 
dried  by  the  Indians  in  the  sun,  spread  on  a  skin, 
and  pounded  with  stones.  They  bring  it  in  this 
state  to  the  forts,  where  the  hair  is  sifted  from  it, 
and  melted  fat  kneaded  into  it.  It  is  then  squeezed 
tight  into  leathern  bags,  hung  out  to  cool,  is  fit  for 
use,  and  if  kept  dry  will  be  good  a  year  or  two. 

"  As  soon  as  Captain  Franklin  and  his  party 
were  recovered  from  their  fatigue,  they  made  pre- 
parations for  continuing  their  journey  to  Isle  &  la 
Crosse.  Captain  Franklin  and  Mr.  Back  were 
mounted  on  horseback,  and  the  carioles  and  sledg* 
cs  filled  with  provisions.  It  was  February,  the 
weather  was  tolerably  warm,  and  as  they  met  with 
deer,  partridges,  and  rabbits,  they  had  an  abundant 
Supply  of  food  which  was  particularly  agreeable  to 
their  Canadian  voyagers,  who  were  very  ravenous 
kind  of  people.  They  stopped  for  a  time  at  the 
Company 's  trading  posts  at  the  Green  Lake,  where 
they  heard  that  provisions  were  likely  to  be  very 
scarce  farther  north,  and  they  accordingly  wrote  to 
Dr.  Richardson,  requesting  him  to  bring  as  much 
as  his  canoes  would  hold.  On  leaving  Green 
Lake  they  were  favoured  with  a  friendly  salute  of 
§uns,  which  were  fired  by  women,  the  men  being 


■\ 


>*•-• 


irii"  If 


f 


01 


NORTHERN  RIXIONS. 


absent  hunting.      Thoy  crossed  the  woods  to  the 
JJeavcr  river,  the  banks  of  wliich  were  adorned 
with  pines,  willows,  and  po|)lars.  Woods  destroyed 
by  fire  every  where  met  their  eyes,  and  a  very  de- 
solate appearance  it  gave  to  the  country.    While 
the  party  were  passing  throup^h  a  deep  glen,  they 
came  up  to  the  remains  of  an  Indian  hut.  The  ra- 
pacious  Canadians,  hoping  to  find   something  to 
cat,  pulled  oflf  the  cover  of  a  pile  of  wood  which 
was  near  it,  when  to  their  surprise,  they  found  the 
body  of  a  woman  in  a  leather  dress,  which  evident- 
ly had   been  placed  there    very    recently.     The 
clothes  she  had  formerly  worn  lay  beside  her,  to- 
gether with  materials  for  making  a  fire,  a  hatchet, 
and  a  bark-dish  and  a  fishing  line.    An  owl  was  sit- 
ting on  atrecjust^^by,  which  the  Canadians  thought 
ominous,  and  covering  up  the  pile  again,  proceeded. 
They  next  passed  several  lakes  and  swamps,  till 
they  came  to  Train  Lake,  from  which  traders  get 
their  birch  to   build   sledges  or  traineaux ;  there 
they  met  some  sledges  full  of  fish  sent  them  from 
Isle  &  la  Crosse.     They  •  ame  the  next  day  to  the 
Company's  house  at  Isle  ^  la  Crosse  lake,  and 
were  hospitably  received.     The  Indians  assemble 
to  play  at  the  game  of  the  Cross  in  an  island  of 
this  lake,  which  accounts  for  its  name,  and  it  is 
celebrated  also  for  a  fish  called  the  tittameg. 

**  After  a  short  rest  here,  our  party  went  travel- 
ling along  by  Clear  Lake  and  Buffalo  Lake  to 
Beaver  River,  enlivened  by  the  paddling  songs  of 
their  Canadian  voyagers,  and  illuminated  by  the 
aurora  borealis,  which  was  particularly  fine.  At 
the  fort  here  they  had  a  dance,  which  the  residents 
always  expect  to  be  treated  with  on  the  arrival  of 
any  stranger. 


\1 


iNORTIILRN   REGIONS. 


i).J 


**  Pursuing  their  journey  tliey  came  to  Mcthye 
Portage,  where  the  scenery  was  very  grand,  even 
though  it  was  winter.  Ileie  they  overtook  a  party 
ofChipewyan  Indians,  and  smoked  a  cahimet  in 
the  tent  of  tlie  cliief,  whose  name  was  Thumb. 
Mr.  Back  drew  a  picture  of  one  of  Thumb's  sons, 
with  which  the  father  was  liighly  dehghted,  and  lie 
rliarged  the  boy  to  be  very  good,  since  his  picture 
had  been  drawn  by  a  great  chief. 

*'  They  came  to  another  Chiriewyan  tent,  the 
chief  of  whom  was  named  the  Sun,  and  he  had 
five  sons  who  were  luinters.  FJotli  of  these  fiimi- 
hes  were  very  disconsolate  at  the  loss  of  some  re- 
lations, nor  could  tlie  travellers  get  any  infornui- 
tion  from  them. 

"  They  next  arrived  at  a  station  in  the  Athabas- 
ca department,  called  Pierre;  au  calumet,  whi<!h  is 
so  called  from  being  the  place  where  the  stone  is 
found  of  which  the  Indians  and  Canadians  niidvc 
their  pipes.  In  }»roceedii»g  onward  to  Fcrt  Chip- 
ewyan,  they  passed  an  old  Canadian  who  was  rest- 
ing his  wearied  dogs,  during  the  heat  of  the  day. 
Ho  was  carrying  meat  from  the  Indians,  and  his 
sledge  which  was  loaded  with  two  hundred  and  fifty 
pounds  weight,  was  dragged  by  two  miserable  dogs. 
Captain  Franklin  was  amused  at  the  conceit  of  this 
fellow,  who  entered  into  a  quarrel  with  the  other 
Canadians  about  their  dogs,  and  offered  to  lay 
them  a  wager  that  his  two  dogs,  lean  and  poor  as 
they  were,  should  carry  their  burden  to  the  Atha- 
basca lake,  sooner  than  any  three  of  theirs.  The 
chief  reason  he  gave  for  this  was  his  own  superior 
skill  in  driving. 

*'  Thus  Captain  Franklin  and  his  brave  compan- 
ions travelled  on,  and  approached  towards  the  end 
of  a  journey,  eight  hundred  and  fifty-seven  mi(cs  in 


I 


i"i 


['I 

ill 

f 

il:' 

li 


"h,I 


\K\    - 


06 


NORTHEaN  REGIONS. 


length,  many  parts  of  wliich  had  been  agreeable, 
and  many  more,  most  disagreeable.  The  fatigue 
and  pain  of  walking  in  snow  shoes  can  hardly  be 
imagined  by  those  who  have  never  felt  a  weight 
of  two  or  three  pounds,  fastened  to  sore  feet  and 
swelled  ankles.  Another  evil  they  experienced 
WHS  in  witnessing  the  cruel  manner  in  which  the 
Canadians  use  their  dogs,  whom  they  beat  un- 
mercifully. ' 

*'But  when  stretched  out  in  the  encampment 
before  a  roasting  fire,  amid  merry  companions,  all 
care  was  for  the  time  forgotten,  even  the  trouble- 
some dogs  were  forgiven,  who  prowled  about  to 
snatch  at  every  kind  of  food  they  could  reach  ; 
these  animals  indeed  made  up  for  the  trouble  they 
jjave  by  the  warpith  they  imparted  at  night,  when 
they  reposed  by  the  side  or  by  the  feet  of  the  tra- 
vellers. The  hospitable  reception  they  met  with 
at  Trading  fort  too,  was  most  gratifying  to  the  tra- 
vellers, and  recompensed  them  for  much  suffering. 

"  At  fort  Chipewyan,  the  first  object  of  Captaiii 
Franklin  was  to  gain  information  as  to  the  mode 
of  reaching  the  Copper-mine  river.  An  old  Chipe- 
wyan, named  Rabbit's-head,  gave  a  curious  tradi-. 
tion  concerning  the  discovery  of  the  copper  mines 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  river.  This  is  it.  *  A 
party  of  Esquimaux,  who  were  supposed  to  inha- 
bit a  land  beyond  the  seas,  came  over  and  stole  a 
woman  from  the  Chipewyan  Indians.  She,  poor 
soul,  was  very  unhappy  among  them, and  after  some 
years'  residence  ran  away  and  reached  the  sea 
side.  As  she  was  sitting  there  disconsolate  a  wolf 
came  and  licked  the  tears  from  her  eyes,  and  then 
walked  into  the  sea.  With  joy,  she  perceived  the 
water  was  very  shallow,  and  she  determined  upoa 
following  the  wolf.  With  two  sticks  she  mftde  her 


NORTHERN    REOIONS. 


97 


wny  throufifh  tlic  waves,  and  walked  on  for  two 
days;  tlie  tliiid  day  the  water  became  deeper,  but 
still  she  persevered,  and  on  the  tit'tli  she  reached 
her  native  shore.  A  herd  of  rein-deer  [)assed  by, 
and  with  some  kind  of  weapon  she  killed  enough 
for  her  winter's  store,  and  built  a  house  for  herself. 
Next  spring,  when  she  came  out  of  her  snow  hut, 
she  found  the  earth  all  glittering  with  bits  of  cop- 
per, and  she  saw  at  a  distance  a  hill  of  copper  : 
she  collected  what  sin;  coidd,  thinking  it  might  be 
useful  to  her  friends,  stuck  her  clothes  all  over 
with  it,  and  set  out  again  to  seek  her  liome.  Sho 
soon  met  some  of  lier  relations,  and  telling  them 
what  she  had  discovered,  took  them  to  the  copper 
hill :  but  they,  treating  her  ungratefully,  she  fled  to 
the  summit  of  the  hill,  which  opened  suddenly,  and 
swallowed  up  both  herselfand  the  hill.  Ever  after 
small  pieces  of  copper  only  could  be  found.' 

**  This  is  a  specimen  of  Indian  tradition,  and  we 
must  not  wonder  that  they  become  rather  marvel- 
lous, since  the  natives  have  no  means  of  writing 
down  their  histories,  nor  any  principle  of  truth  to 
guide  them. 

*'  The  Chipewyans  are  as  boastful,  or  indeed 
more  so,  than  any  other  tribe  Franklin  met  with. 
They  style  themselves  the  northern  Indians,  or  the 
**  people."  They  suppose  that  they  originally 
sprung  from  a  dog,  and  some  years  ago  the  wise 
idea  entered  their  heads  that  it  was  wrong  to  em- 
ploy animals  so  nearly  related  to  them,  and  there- 
fore they  determined  upon  destroying  them  all.  Of 
course  the  task  of  dragging  the  sledges,  and  carry- 
ing the  tents,  now  falls  to  the  women's  share,  since 
the  proud  Chipewyan  only  condescends  to  carry 
his  gun  ||id  medicine*  chest.     The  character  of 

9 


r 


i 
ill 


■t  ( 


%i 


I( 


11 

It 


0» 


NORTIIEKN    KEGIO.NS. 


\ 


these  people  is  not  much  more  pleasing  than  that  ol' 
the  Stone  Indians  ;  they  are  cruel  to  their  wives, 
they  abandon  the  aged  and  the  sick,  and  they  have 
not  even  the  virtue  ot"  hospitality.  If  anyone  en- 
ters their  tent  he  is  never  offered  any  food,  but  if 
the  stranger  has  impudence  enough  to  thrust  his 
stick  into  the  boiling  pot  and  fish  up  a  piece  of 
meat  for  himself,  the  Chipewyan  thinks  it  beneath 
his  dignity  to  quarrel  with  him  about  a  bit  of  meat. 

**  It  was  the  middle  of  July  before  Captain 
Franklin  could  collect  sufficient  stores  and  infor- 
jnation  to  enable  him  to  proceed,  and  in  the  mean 
time  he  had  been  jomed  by  Dr.  Richardson  and 
Mr.  Hood,  of  whose  journey  to  Chipewycn  fort  I 
must  give  you  some  account ;  but  first  tell  *ne, 
Charles,  whether  you  would  be  as  willing  to  make 
discoveries  by  lan^,  as  you  professed  yourself  to 
wish  to  do  by  sea.^*" 

)(,^"  Indeed,  papa,"  answered  Charles,  **  I  feel  ray 
/  courage  sinking  fast.  Hunger,   cold,  fatigue j  and 
'  the  neighbourhood  of  those  Indian  savages,  ap- 
pear to  me  too  much  for  any  one  to  endure." 

"  It  is  indeed,  Charles,  a  terrific  prospect ;  let 
us  wish  our  travellers  courage  through  their  perils, 
the  account  of  which  ought  to  make  us  think  light- 
ly of  our  own  little  daily  trials,  which  are  apt  to 
affect  our  temper  and  our  happiness  much  more 
than  they  ought. 

**  To  return  to  our  travellers.  Mr.  Hood,  whom 
we  left  at  Cumberland  House,  had  malfe  an  excur- 
sion to  the  Basquian  hills,  to  draw  a  picture  of  a 
moose-deer.  He  visited  the  tent  of  an  Indian, 
named  *  Warrior,*  and  amused  himself  by  sketch- 
ing the  inside  of  tlietenl^and  its  inhabitimts.  One 
of  the  old  women  left  ofFqumrelling  witmnother, 
thinking  he  was  employing  a  charm  ag^^st  ker  : 


f-. 


NORTHERN    REdlON.S. 


09 


and  a  young  man,  in  mimickry  of  him  drew,  with 
a  piece  of  charcoal,  a  picture  of  a  frog  on  the  side 
of  the  tent,  and  by  pointing  at  Mr.  Hood,  drew 
forth  peals  of  laughter  from  the  Indians.  It  was  so 
long  before  the  hunters  could  succeed  in  killing  a 
moose-deer,  that  the  savages  concluded  as  they  do 
when  they  are  suffering  any  affliction,  that  the  evil 
spirit  was  tormenting  them,  and  they  assembled 
all  together,  and  beat  a  tambourine  and  sang  a 
hymn  to  the  manito  or  deity,  and  uttered  three 
words  over  and  over  again,  which  were  intended 
for  a  prayer  for  success.  A  moose  was  at  length 
caught :  but  between  the  starving  Indians  and  the 
rapacious  wolves,  Mr.  Hood  had  great  trouble  in 
keeping  it  together  till  he  had  made  a  drawing  of 
it,  when  it  was  instantly  cut  up  and  devoured. 

*'  The  Enghsh  travellers,  accompanied  by  eight 
Canadian  boatmen  in  two  canoes,  and  some  small 
store  ofprovision,at  length  left  Cumberland  House. 
They  crossed  several  small  lakes,  and  sailed 
down  Sturgeon  river,  where  they  met  with  nu- 
merous and  dangerous  rapids. 

"  They  crossed  Beaver y  Island^  Heron,  and 
Woody  LakeSi  and  embarked  on  a  part  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi river  leading  to  Rapid  river,  till  they  arri- 
ved at  the  Mountain  Portage.  This  was  an  ascent 
over  a  rocky  island,  between  which  and  the  shore 
were  three  large  cataracts.  The  country  here  be- 
came very  bold,  woody,  and  mountainous.  Their 
first  adventure  happened  at  the  Otlej^^rtage. — 
The  river  ran  with  rapidity  among^PFrge  stones. 
They  carried  the  cargoes,  and  attempted  to  get  the 
canoes  through  by  tracking.  They  succeeded  with 
the  first  canoe,  but  the  last,  with  the  steersman  and 
foreman  in  it,  was  upset  and  hurried  away  by  the 
current.  Mr.  Hood  immediately  jumped  into  the 


II 


." ' 


■J  J. 


rt 


1 


H 


'!  I 


(I 


V  i' 


u 


■.llllili!' 

'Ml 


nil 

'I 

I 


1 


f 


»» 


loa 


NORTHERN    REGIONS. 


i 

other  boat,  and  urging  the  men  to  follow  him,  they 
launched  into  the  rapid,  descended  it  quickly  and 
perceived  tiie  bottom  of  the  lost  canoe  above  wa- 
ter in  a  little  bay  into  which  it  had  been  whirled 
by  the  eddy.  One  man  had  reached  the  bank,  but 
the  foreman  was  seen  no  more.  The  canoe  was 
saved,  but  the  Canadians  were  deeply  affected 
with  the  loss  of  their  companion,  and  full  of  me- 
lancholy forebodings,  erected  a  little  cross  in  the 
rocks  near  which  he  had  perished. 

"  Their  road  lay  through  a  variety  of  lakes,  ri- 
vers, and  portages,  till  they  reached  the  Isle  a  la 
Crosse,  where  in  vain  they  endeavoured  to  procure 
a  supply  of  provision  to  take  with  them  for  the 
expedition.  All  the  residents  were  ill  supplied,  and 
poor  ;  ten  bags  of  pemmican  alone  could  be  fur- 
nished. From  thist-post  their  route  was  very  simi- 
lar to  that  Captain  Franklin  had  recently  taken  : 
the  weather  being  fine  they  had  few  troubles  to 
brave  except  the  mosquitoes  and  sand  fl^cs,  and 
the  disappointment  offinding  when  they  reached 
"Chipewyan,  that  their  ten  bags  of  pemmican 
•^were  all  rotten  and  good  for  nothing. 

**  With  this  disaster  ended  Mr.  Hood's  narrative, 
who,  with  Dr.  Richardson,  having  joined  Captain 
Franklin  at  Fort  Chipewyan,  the  whole  party  pre- 
pared to  go  forward,  not  without  some  few  melan- 
choly forebodings  on  account  of  their  scanty  supply 
of  provisions.  The  small  store,  however,  they 
could  procure  from  their  trading  friends  at  Chipe- 
wyan, was  packed  up  in  three  canoes,  and  as  the 
Canadians  were  very  cheerful,  the  party  set  out  in 
great  glee.  A  lively  paddling  song  was  volunteer- 
ed by  the  boatmen,  and  kept  up  till  they  lost  sight 
of  the  houses.  They  entered  the  magnificent  river 
Galled  the  Slave  river,  passed  down  a  part  of  the 


*:^.j<^ 


/'"!/•■ 


too 


him,  they 
ickly  and 
ibove  wa- 

I  whirled 
bank,  but 
anoe  was 

affected 

II  of  me- 
►ss  in  the 

lakes,  ri- 

Isle  a  la 

3  procure 

for  the 

)lied,and 

d  be  fur- 

ery  simi- 

y  taken : 

ubles  to 

^cs,  and 

reached 

mmican 

irrative, 
/aptain 

[rty  pre- 
melan- 
supply 

(r,  they 
Chipe- 
as  the 

|t  out  in 

inteer- 

3t  sight 

It  river 

of  the 


•v:i 


t 


,\' 


r.  * 


i 

s} 


Vi 


^ 


\i4m 


'f 


VJ 


N^ 


kl'^C 


.if 


f » 


#. 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


101 


Dog  river,  and  reached  *  The  Portage  of  the 
Drowned.'  This  took  its  melancholy  name  from 
an  accident  that  happened  there  many  years  ago. 
Two  canoes  arrived  at  the  upper  end  of  the  portage. 
In  one  of  them  was  a  skilful  guide,  who  thought  he 
might  venture  to  shoot  the  rapid,  and  he  promised 
to  fire  a  musket,  as  a  signal  for  the  other  canoe  to 
follow  if  he  came  safely  to  the  bottom.  It  proved  a 
very  dangerous  rapid,  and  the  boat  and  the  crew 
were  nearly  lost  in  spite  of  the  skill  of  the  guide. 
They  reached  the  land,  however,  when  an  unlucky 
fellow  seized  a  gun  and  fired  at  a  bird.  The  other 
canoe  took  this  as  a  signal,  followed  incautiously 
down  the  rapid,  got  frightened  in  the  middle,  the 
canoe  upset,  and  every  man  was  drowned. 

**  At  Salt  river  the  party  filled  their  casks  with 
salt  for  winter  use,  and  here  too  they  had  the  goo4 
fortune  to  kill  a  buffalo  which  was  swimming  in  the 
river.  They  towed  him  to  land  and  loaded  the 
canoes  with  meat,  and  amid  the  songs  of  the  boat*^^ 
men  descended  the  stream  merrily.  > 

**  At  the  foot  of  Moose-deer  island  they  enga 
Pierre  St.  Germain  as  interpreter  to  the  expeditiolii 
biU  could  not  get  a  farther  supply  of  provision. 

"  After  crossing  the  Great  Slave  Lake,  they 
reached  Fort  Providence,  wheft  Mr.  Wentzel  had 
procured  for  them  an  Indian  guide;  Mr.  Wentzel 
was  a  trader,  whose  business  was  to  make  arrange- 
ments with  the  Indian  hunters,  and  distribute  stores 
and  provisions  to  the  European  traders. 
•  "  And  now  our  travellers  held  their  first  confer- 
ence with  the  Indians  who  were  to  assist  them  in 
their  expedition,and  accordingly  they  dressed  them- 
Iblves  in  their  uniforms,  and  made  themselves  as 

9» 


•f.*:; 


*-^''-''Z 


102 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


smart  as  possible,  as  they  were  told  the  Indians 
thought  much  of  appearances.  The  Indian  canoes 
approached  in  regular  order,  and  on  landing,  the 
chief,  whose  name  was  Akaitcho,  or  Big  Foot, 
marched  up  with  a  very  grave  look,  till  he  reached 
the  hall  where  the  officers  were,  and  after  smoking 
his  pipe,  drinking  a  glass  of  spirits,  of  which  he 
handed  a  glass  to^each  of  his  followers,  who  were 
seated  on  the  floor  round  him,  he  began  his  ha- 
rangue. *  He  rejoiced,'  he  said,  *  to  see  such  great 
chiefs  on  his  lands :  his  tribe  was  poor,  but  they 
loved  white  men,  and  he  had  heard  too  that  a  great 
medicine  chief  was  among  them  who  could  restore 
the  dead  to  life.  And  as  he  now  undertook  to  as- 
sist them  in  their  expedition,  he  wished  to  know 
what  was  the  object  of  it  f  * 

*'  Captain  Franklin  answered,  that  he  and  his 
companions  were  come  from  the  greatest  chief  in 
the  world,  who  loved  peace,  and  was  the  father  of 
the  trading  countries,  and  that  hearing  his  children 
in  the  north  were  in  great  want  of  merchandize,  in 
consequence  of  the  distance  by  land,  he  had  sent 
ffome  people  to  find  out  a  nearer  way  by  sea,  by 
which  great  vessels  could  bring  a  large  supply  to 
their  country.  ^  - 

**  Akaitcho  and  his  guides  then  gave  all  the  in- 
formation they  could,  and  after  they  had  made  ma- 
ny promises  of  assistance,  Captain  Franklin  put  a 
medal  round  the  neck  of  the  chief,  with  which  he 
was  highly  pleased,  though  he  thought  it  becoming 
his  dignity  to  look  very  grave. 

"  A  dance  in  the  evening  concluded  this  peace- 
able introduction,  and  after  the  Indians  had  been 
amused  with  the  grotesque  gestures  of  the  Cana-^' 
diansy  they  favoured  the  travellers  with  a  sight  of 


-•*», 


.»>« 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


103 


the  celebrated  dog-rib  Indian  dance.  To  perform 
this,  they  ranged  themselves  in  a  circle,  and,  with 
their  legs  widely  separated,  jumped  all  together, 
sideways,  with  their  bodies  bent,  their  hands  upon 
their  hips,  and  a  "  ^sa"  at  the  end  of  each  jump. 

"  The  party  of  Indians  who  were  to  accompany 
the  expedition  to  the  Copper-mine  river  being  se- 
lected, the  travellers  set  out,  having  a  small  canoe 
to  carry  the  women,  in  addition  to  the  three  others. 
Akaitcho  at  first  kept  up  a  kind  of  state,  but  when 
bethought  the  Europeans  did  not  observe  him,  he 
would  frequently  help  the  Indian  to  paddle  his  ca- 
noe along,  and  in  a  few  days  he  was  quite  free  and 
easy  with  them. 

They  proceeded,  travelling  in  the  same  manner 
as  they  had  done  before,  up  the  Yellow-knife  river, 
or  as  the  Indians  call  it,  Beg-ho-lo-dessy,  *  the  river 
of  the  toothless  fish.'  But,  alas  !  neither  toothless 
fish,  nor  any  other  fish  could  be  procured,  and  the 
rein-deer  were  very  shy.  so  that  our  party  began  to 
feel  pangs  of  hunger  creep  upon  them.  The  Ca- 
nadians, whose  dispositions  now  began  to  show 
themselves,  murmured  many  days,  and  then  broke 
out  into  open  discontent,  and  threatened  not  to  pro- 
ceed a  step  farther  without  food.  Captain  Frank- 
lin behaved  with  great  spirit,  and  ordered  any  one 
of  them  who  dared  to  stop,  to  be  instantly  punish- 
ed, for  he  perceived  they  were  trying  their  power 
with  their  new  masters,  and  that  if  he  gave  way  to 
them  at  first  that  they  would  continue  disobedient. 
In  consequence  of  this  firm  conduct  they  behaved 
tolerably  well  for  a  time,  and  every  supply  of  deer 
brought  in  by  the  hunters  restored  their  spirits. 

"**  A  number  of  lakes  brought  them,  at  last,  to 
the  spot  which  the  Indians  recommended  for  their 
winter  establishment,  and  accordingly  they  eu« 


Jh 


* 


104 


NORTHERN    REGIONS. 


camped  there.  It  proved  a  very  well  chosen  situ- 
ation, commanding  a  fine  view,  and  sheltered  by- 
pines  thirty  or  forty  feet  high.  — 

**  Thus  had  they  accomplished  a  journey  from 
Fort  Chipewyan,  five  hundred  and  fifty-three  miles 
long,  and  as  it  was  Sunday  when  they  arrived  at 
this  station,  they  spent  it  in  rest  and  thanksgiving, 
and  all  united  in  hearing  divine  service  read. 

'^  Akaitcho  and  the  Indians  who  had  staid  behind 
hunting  were  warned  of  the  arrival  of  the  travellers 
at  their  destination,  by  a  large  fire  on  a  hill.  The 
voyagers  divided  into  two  parties,  the  one  to  find 
wood  and  build  a  store-house,  the  other  to  fetch  the 
meat  as  the  hunters  killed  it.  A  flock  of  gees<e-mi- 
grating  to  the  south,  gave  them  the  melancholy  in- 
timation that  winter  was  again  approaching,  and 
they  had  the  vexation  to  find  that  Akaitcho  posi- 
tively refused  to  accompany  them  himself  or  sufifer 
any  of  his  people  to  accompany  them  to  the  Copper- 
mine till  the  next  spring,  as  they  would  all  be  cer- 
tain of  losing  their  lives  from  cold  and  hunger. 
After  saying  a  great  deal  to  him  to  make  him 
change  his  resolution,  Akaitcho  said,  'well,  if  you 
will  not  be  persuaded  for  your  own  good,  to  give 
up  going  this  winter,  you  shall  take  some  of  my 
young  men  with  you,  but  the  moment  they  embark 
in  the  canoes  I  shall  lament  them  as  dead.' 

"  This  desertion  of  the  chief  obliged  Captain 
Franklin  to  give  up  his  intended  journey  for  the 
winter,  and  he  contented  himself  with  sending  Mr. 
Back  and  Mr.  Hood  in  a  light  canoe  to  ascertain 
the  distance  and  the  size  of  the  Copper-mine  ri- 
ver. Accordingly  they  set  out,  accompanied  by  St. 
Germain  and  some  Canadians,  and  furnished  with 
a  tent,  blankets,  and  eight  days  provision. 


NORTHERN  RFGIONS. 


105 


**  An  eclipse,  which  had  happened  some  little 
time  before,  excited  great  curiosity  anions-  the  In- 
dians, who  wondered  about  every  thing  how  the 
white  men  could  foretel  when  it  would  happen. 
It  convinced  them,  they  said,  that  wiiitcs  were 
superior  to  Indians.  Captain  Franklin  took  the 
opportunityof  talking  to  them  of  a  Supreme  Be- 
ing, and  of  persuading  them  to  pay  great  atten- 
tion to  do  what  was  right,  in  order  to  please  their 
Heavenly  Father,  and  Akaitcho  immediately  said, 
'  we  will  go  directly  and  hunt,  and  provide  food 
for  the  white  men,  in  return  for  the  interesting 
things  they  have  been  telling  us." 

Charles.  I  begin  to  think,  papa,  that  these 
poor  savages  want  only  instruction  to  make  them 
good  people,  and  that  they  deserve  more  pity 
than  contempt. 


CHAPTER  III. 

"  Fort  Enterprize,  for  such  the  winter  estab- 
lishment was  named,  was  deserted  for  a  time,  as 
Akaitcho,  with  his  Indians,  had  taken  their  depar- 
ture, and  Captain  Franklin  and  Dr.  Richardson 
were  gone  a  walking  tour  towards  the  Copper- 
mine river.  The  house  was  finished  in  the  mean 
time,  and  preparations  made  for  another  tedious 
northern  winter. 

"  When  all  were  again  re-assembled,  Mr.  Back 
and  Belanger  were  despatched  to  Fort  Providence 
to  see  what  stores  and  provisions  could  be  procur- 


h 


l;(| 


# 


lOG 


NORTHERN    REGIONS. 


od,  for  the  hunting  season  was  closed,  and  the 
Indian  party  had  added  their  numbers  to  be  fed 
at  the  fort. 

**  Belanger  was  the  first  to  return  ;  he  had  walk- 
ed for  six  and  thirty  hours  during  a  storm  ;  his  hair 
was  matted  with  snow,  and  he  was  covered  with  a 
crust  of  ice  from  head  to  foot,  so  that  they  scarce- 
ly knew  him  at  the  fort.  He  brought  a  packet  of 
letters  from  England,  which  when  thawed,  was 
found  to  contain  the  news  of  the  death  of  George 
the  Third,  which  Captain  Franklin  wisely  conceal- 
ed from  the  Indians,  lest  the  death  of  their  '  great 
master'  mi[^ht  lead  them  to  suppose  that  the  En- 
glishmen might  not  be  able  to  keep  their  promises 
to  them.  This  precaution  was  very  needful,  but,  un- 
fortunately, some  Indians  arrived  soon  after  with 
the  report  that  these  travellers  were  not  really  offi- 
cers of  the  great  king,  but  only  a  set  of  wretched  de- 
pendants, who  wanted  to  obtain  subsistence  in  the 
plentiful  country  of  the  Copper-Indians  ;  and  that 
as  the  trading  companies  had  only  helped  them  out 
of  charity,  there  would  be  no  chance  of  their  being 
able  to  reward  the  Indians  as  they  had  promised. 
Of  this  report  Akaitcho  very  properly  came  and  .| 
informed  Captain  Franklin,  and  he  succeeded 
pretty  well  in  convincing  him  of  the  falseness  of  it." 

*'  In  this  winter  at  Fort  Enterprize,  did  the 
sun  disappear  altogether,  papa  ?"  asked  Tom. 

"  It  was  below  the  horizon  for  twelve  days 
only,  which  was  a  very  short  absence  compared 
with  that  Captain  Parry  experienced.  The  cold 
was  intense,  though  not  sufficient  to  prevent  the 
wood-cutters  and  other  workmen  from  going  a- 
bout  their  business. 

"  The  winter  hours  were  spent  by  Captain  Frank- 
lin and  his  fellow  travellers  in  the  following  man- 


m 


# 


'V 


NORTHERN  UECIIONS. 


w 


he  had  walk- 
)rm  ;  hishnir 


,ns ;  and  that 


)ier:  they  read  all  the  newspapers  and  niagazines 
troni  En«^land  over  and  over  aif-iin  ;  thty  wrote 
their  journals,  walked ont to  seethe  woodmen,  and 
in  the  evening  joined  in  the  games  of  the  men  in 
the  liall.  31i.  Hood  completed  liis  drawings  ;  Dr. 
Richardson  studied  the  mineralogy  of  the  country. 
They  ate  rein-deer  meat  aiid  tish,  and  on  Sunday 
had  a  cup  of  chocolate,  but  their  greatest  ti xaf  was 
tea.  With  strips  of  cotton  shiit  and  rein-deer  fat 
they  made  candles,  and  Hepburn  was  a  skilful  man- 
ufacturer of  soap  out  of  wood  ashes,  fat  and  salt. 
Keskarrah,  their  Indian  guide,  had  a  wife  and 
daughter.  The  wife  had  long  been  ill,  and  her 
old  husband  made  an  offering  of  a  knife  and  some 
tobacco  to  the  water-spirits,  whom  he  thought  had 
caused  her  illness.  lie  would  not,  however,  trust 
these  spirits  entirely,  but  came  to  the  'great  medi- 
cine chief,'  Dr.  Richardson,  for  some  pjiysic.  One 
day  he  received  the  medicine  with  such  gravity  and 
wrapped  it  up  in  his  rein-deer  robe  so  carefully, 
that  the  officers  could  not  help  laughing.  Keskar- 
rah smiled  too,  for  he  was  a  good  natured  old 
fellow^,  but  his  wife  fancied  that  their  laughing  was 
a  sign  some  bad  medicine  had  been  given  her,  and 
the  whole  night  was  spent  in  groans  and  sobs. 

The  daughter  was  named  green-stockings,  and 
was  thought  a  beauty.  Mr.  Hood  took  her  por- 
trait, but  the  mother  was  not  pleased  ;  she  said 
that  if  the  great  chief  who  lived  in  England  saw 
the  picture,  he  would  be  sure  to  send  for  her 
daughter  to  make  her  his  wife. 

"  Two  Esquimaux  interpreters  now  arrived  at* 
the  fort,  Tattaneuk  and  Heooterock,  or  as  the 
English  named  them,  Augustus  and  Junius.  Mr. 
Back  likewise  joined  the  party,  having  performed  a 
perilous  journey,   chiefly  on  foot,   of  a  thousand 


ffi 


108 


NORTFIK.IIN  REGfONS, 


milos  to  Fort  Chipowynn,  in  order  to  provide  storen 
and  other  necessaries  tor  tlie  expedition. 

''  And  now  heCore  tin?  travellers  leave  the  fort 
and  be^in  their  discoveries,  1  must  give  you  some 
account  of  the  Cop[)er  or  Bidrind  Indians,  and 
other  small  trih(;s,  on  whom  so  much  of  their  fu- 
ture support  is  to  depend.  Akaitcho  is  the  chief 
of  the  Copper  Indians,  of  whicli  there  are  not  above 
two  hundred,  and  he  is  looked  upon  as  a  great 
chief.  They  resemble  the  Chipewyans,  but  are 
kinder  to  their  women,  and  more  lH)spitable  to 
strangers,  but  still  dreadful  beggars.  They  are  wil- 
ling to  be  taught,  and  regularly  attended  divine 
service  every  Sunday  while  with  the  Europeans. 

"  Old  Keskarrah  was  an  intelligent  but  rather 
conceited  Copper  Indian.  He  used  often  to  say, 
*  it  is  very  strange  that  I  never  meet  with  any  one 
so  clever  as  myself.'  Among  other  strange  tradi- 
tions of  his  nation,  he  told  Captain  Franklin  the 
following :  *  When  the  earth  was  first  formed,  it 
was  in  utter  darkness.  A  bear  met  a  squirrel,  and 
both  agreed  to  set  out  in  opposite  directions,  and 
run  round  the  earth,  and  whoever  reached  the 
place  they  started  from  first,  should  show  his  victo- 
ry by  some  w^onderful  deed.  The  squirrel  got 
there  first,  and  jumping  into  a  tree  called  out  for 
light,  and  the  darkness  instantly  left  the  earth,  and 
a  bird  like  a  crow  was  seen  with  its  wings  flap- 
ping it  away.  The  squirrel  then  broke  a  piece  of 
wood  off  the  tree,  held  it  up,  and  said,  *  Wood, 
like  this,  shall  provide  future  ages  with  the  means 
of  crossing  the  deep  waters  of  the  earth.' 

*'  The  Dog-ribs  inhabit  a  country  to  the  west  of 
the  Copper  Indians,  are  mild  and  hospitable  and 
fond  of  dancing  and  singing ;  in  which  amusements 
they  spend  much  of  their  tinae.     They  are  much 


^•*. 


NOHTIICRN  REGIONS. 


109 


kinder  to  their  wives  than  the  other  tribes,  find  do 
the  laborious  work  themselves,  while  the  women 
ornament  theii  dress  with  quill-work.  When  bands 
of  Dog-riba  meet,  after  a  long  absence,  they  per* 
form  a  dance,  which  frequently  lasts  two  or  three 
days,  the  ground  being  cleared  of  snow  or  bushoH 
for  the  purpose.  They  begin  the  dance  with  their 
backs  turned  to  each  other,  and  follow  one  after 
another  in  a  chain,  carrying  a  bow  in  one  hand 
and  an  arrow  in  the  other.  They  make  many  turns 
till  they  come  back  to  back  again,  when  they  pre- 
tend to  see  each  other  for  the  first  time,  and  im- 
mediately change  the  bow  to  the  right  hand  and 
the  arrow  to  the  left,  to  show  that  they  do  not 
mean  to  employ  their  weapons  against  their  friends. 
They  are  not  great  friends  with  the  Copper  tribe, 
who  steal  their  women  and  furs. 

"  There  is  a  small  tribe  of  indians  called  Tymo- 
thee  Dinneh,  or  Squint-eyed  quarrellers ;  and 
there  is  a  tribe  called  the  Sheep  Indians  and  an- 
other the  Strongbow,  or  Thickwood  Indians,  who 
frequent  the  Riviere  awe  Liards,  The  young  men 
of  this  tribe  are  named  after  their  dogs  until  they 
are  married  and  have  a  son,  when  they  are  called 
the  father  of  the  boy.  The  women  have  a  very 
gentle  method  of  reproving  the  dogs  when  they 
are  fighting ;  they  say  to  them,  *  Are  you  not  asha- 
med to  quarrel  with  your  little  brother  f  The  dogs 
appear  to  understand,  and  sneak  oflf. 

"  The  winter  at  Fort  Enter  prize  did  not  pass 
without  great  want  of  food,  particularly  among  the 
Indians,  who  were  often  seen  clearing  away  the 
snow  to  collect  bones,  deer's  feet,  and  bits  of  hide. 
With  pity  did  the  travellers  behold  them,  little 
thinking  that  before  the  year  was  over  they  them- 

10 


.r 


i 


m 


110 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


n 


selves  would  be  collecting  these  very  bones  a  se- 
cond time. 

"  Captain  Franklin  introduced  the  amusement 
of  sliding  down  the  steep  frozen  bank  of  the  river 
in  sledges,  which  descended  rapidly,  and  went  a 
long  way  upon  the  ice.  The  officers  joined  in  this 
sport,  and  the  frequent  overturns  made  it  very  a- 
musing.  The  captain  himself  one  day  was  over- 
turned and  half  buried  in  the  snow,  when  a  fat  In- 
dian woman  drove  her  sledge  over  him,  and  sprain- 
ed his  knee. 

"  And  now  moose  deer  were  again  seen  advan- 
cing northward  from  their  warmer  winter  quar- 
ters, ducks  and  geese  and  robins  appeared,  and 
spring  brought  again  brown  patches  instead  of  the 
white  robe  whic^h  the  country  had  been  clothed  in. 
"  All  were  alive  and  active,  and  hoping  to  recom- 
mence travelling,  when  lo  !  Akaitcho  was  as  un- 
willing to  accompany  them  as  he  had  been  in  the 
autumn.  The  wary  old  fellow  teased  them  sadly 
by  these  repeated  delays,  and  by  his  incessant 
begging  ;  and  it  was  not  till  he  discovered  that  the 
Europeans  had  nothing  more  to  give  that  he 
would  keep  his  promise.  The  first  party  were  to 
set  out  on  the  4th  of  June,  headed  by  Dr.  Rich- 
ardson, who  was  in  great  request  before  his  depar- 
ture :  he  had  to  make  up  little  packets  of  medicine 
for  the  leader  and  all  the  minor  chiefs,  and  write 
down  how  they  were  to  be  used.  Akaitcho  show- 
ed himself  very  grateful  for  the  comfort  his  tribe 
hat^experienccd  in  having  had  this  *  medicine  chief* 
with  them  throii^h  the  winter,  in  which  season  they 
generally  lost  many  of  their  people,  whereas  not  a 
life  had  been  lost  in  the  present  one.  On  the  4th, 
therefore,  Dr.  Richardson,  with  a  party  of  Cana- 
dian voyagers  and  a  few  Indians,  went  forward. 


/ 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


Ill 


)ones  a  sc- 


. ,  licn  all  the  packing  was  done  at  Fort  Enter- 
prize,  and  Akaitcho  saw  the  empty  state  of  the 
store-rooms,  he  said  with  a  smile,  *  Well,  now  I 
see  you  have  nothing  more  to  give,  and  therefore  I 
shall  try  to  procure  you  provisions,  and  not  trou- 
ble you  any  more.'  He  promised,  likewise,  when 
he  should  return,  to  deposit  a  large  store  of  provi- 
sions in  Fort  Enterprize,  to  be  ready  when  Captain 
Franklin  should  reach  it  on  his  w^ay  back.  In  one  of 
the  rooms  Captain  Franklin  left  his  journal  and  oth- 
er papers,  and  then  blocked  up  the  room,  and  pain- 
ted on  the  door  the  figure  of  a  man  holding  a  dagger, 
to  prevent  the  Indians  from  breaking  it  open. 

**  Taking  leave  of  Fort  Enterprize,  Captain 
Franklin  and  his  party  had  to  drag  their  burdens 
across  a  number  of  frozen  lakes  ;  the  weather  was 
still  cold,  and  they,  most  of  them,  had  a  tumble 
through  the  ice  with  their  loads  on  their  backs. — 
They  shortly  reached  Point  Lake,  through  which 
the  Copper-mine  river  runs,  and  joined  the  rest  of 
the  party  who  had  encamped  here.  As  the  lake 
was  still  frozen.  Captain  Franklin  determined  to 
drag  the  loads  over  it.  They  all  now  travelled  to- 
gether, and  proceeded  according  to  the  direction 
of  the  guide,  to  the  north-east  of  the  lake,  but  in 
vain  did  they  look  for  the  river.  The  guide  was 
confused,  and  went  to  look  out  from  some  high 
hills  near  the  Rock's  nest,  while  the  travellers 
were  entertained  by  the  sight  of  a  wolf  chasing  two 
deer  on  the  ice.  The  wolf,  however,  got  alarmed 
as  he  approached  the  men,  and  gave  up  the  hunt. 
**  The  guide  now  reported  that  the  river  was 
flowing  between  the  Rock's  nest,  and  the  traveller! 
had  soon  the  satisfaction  of  embarking  their  canoes 
in  its  waters.  They  were  carried  along  quickly  by 
strong  and  repeated  rapids,vvhich  continued  far  up 


.1   ti 


M 


'M 


i 


112 


iS'ORTHERN  REGIONS. 


the  riv«r,  the  bankR  of  which  are  very  picturesque. 
The  hills  shelve  to  the  brink,  and  are  covered  with 
woods,  and  richly  ornamented  with  mosses  of  va- 
rious kinds.  Here  and  there,  they  were  stopped  by 
drifted  ice,  over  which  they  were  forced  to  drag 
their  canoes.  They  encamped  occasionally  upon 
the  shores,  and  found  several  plants  in  flower,  and 
the  weather  verv  warm,  and  their  hunters  took  the 

ft  ' 

opportunity  of  going  out  in  search  of  deer,  which) 
with  some  few  fish  arid  birds,  formed  their  food. 

**  A  herd  of  buffaloes,  or  musk  oxen,  making  its 
appearance,  eight  of  them  were  killed  by  the  In- 
dians on  shore,  and  a  party  from  the  boats  des- 
patched to  fetch  the  store.  As  Captain  Franklin 
was  walking  by  the  tents,  a  young  buffalo,  enraged 
by  the  firing,  ran  down  to  the  river  and  passed 
close  to  him  :  he  took  up  his  gun,  fired  and  woun- 
ded the  animal,  who  instantly  turned  and  ran  at 
him,  andCaptam  Franklin  was  obliged  to  jump 
upon  a  piece  of  rock,  when  the  people  came  from 
the  tents,  and  the  buffalo  took  to  flight.  The  flesh 
of  these  oxen  tastes  of  musk,  particularly  when 
lean,  which  these  proved  to  be.  -  a- 

**  After  travelling  up  the  river  for  some  time^ 
they  came  to  a  rocky  precipice,  on  which  was  an 
encampment  of*  the  Hook,*  who  was  brother  to 
Akaitcho  and  likewise  a  Copper  Chief.  Finding 
they  were  in  want  of  provisions,  he  ordered  the 
women  to  collect  all  the  meat  they  had,  saying 
that  his  own  people  could  live  upon  fish  until 
more  could  be  procured. 

**  Our  travellers,  in  return  for  the  bags  of  pem- 
mican  thus  supplied  them,  gave  the  Hook  and  his 
followers  all  the  presents  they  could  spare,  and  as 
these  people  seemed  extremely  anxious  about  the 
safety  of  the  travellers,  Captain  FriinkUn  urged 


MM'rf'i 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


113 


them  to  continue  in  that  station,  and  to  deposit  pro- 
visions in  various  places  during  the  summer,  both 
on  the  banks  of  the  Copper-mine  river,  and  on  the 
Copper-mine  mountains.  This  the  Hook  promised, 
and  after  consulting  Dr.  Richardson  about  his 
health,  and  receiving  a  packet  of  medicine  from 
him,  the  travellers  took  their  leave,  and  once  more 
embarked  to  pursue  their  adventures.  They  pass- 
ed the  rocky  Deiile  Rapid  in  safety,  much  to  the 
Indians*  joy,  who  call  it  the  terrific  rapid ^  and  with 
justice.  The  river  is  here  contracted  between  two 
perpendicular  cliffs,  and  thus  descends  in  a  deep 
and  crooked  channel  for  three  quarters  of  a  mile. 
The  body  of  the  river,  pent  in  this  narrow  chasm, 
dashes  furiously  round  the  rocks,  and  discharges 
itself  at  the  bottom  in  a  sheet  of  foam.  The  ca- 
noes ran  through,  however,  when  lightened  of 
their  burdens. 

"  After  passing  this  rapid  they  reached  the  Cop- 
per mountains,  and  a  party  was  sent  in  search  of 
copper  ore.  The  Indians  were  totally  ignorant 
where  to  look  for  it,  having  given  uj)  the  practice  of 
making  their  instruments  of  copper,  since  they  have 
been  supplied  with  iron  from  the  trading  companie?. 

"  As  the  Indians  knew  the  river  to  be  only  one 
succession  of  rapids  till  it  reached  the  sea,  they 
refused  to  take  their  canoes  any  farther,  but  Cap- 
tain Franklin  orderedtvvoof  his  men  to  carry  one 
along  with  them,  in  case  it  might  be  wanted.  When 
the  party  approached  the  part  the  Esquimaux  were 
reported  to  be  met  with,  it  was  determined  to  send 
Junius  and  Augustus,  the  two  Esquimaux  inter- 
preters, forward  to  acquaint  their  countrymen 
with  the  approach  of  the  strangers. 

30* 


J 


114 


JVORiTIERN   REGIONS. 


"  The  Indians  represented  the  Esquimaux  to  be 
very  hostile  to  them,  and  therefore  great  fear  was 
entertained  for  the  safety  of  these  two  poor  fellows, 
who  had  endeared  themselves  to  all  the  travellers 
by  their  obliging  and  pleasing  conduct.  They 
clothed  themselves,however,  in  Esquimaux  dresses 
and  set  out,  taking  with  them  some  presents  for 
their  countrymen.  The  officers  crawled  up  to  the 
top  of  the  mountain,  to  try  to  see  them,  but  night 
came  without  their  return.  Dr.  Richardson  was 
seated  on  the  summit  of  the  hill  looking  at  the  ri- 
ver that  washed  the  precipice  below,  and  buried  in 
thought,  remained  there  after  dusk ;  all  at  once 
looking  around  him,  he  perceived  nine  white  wolves 
approaching,  who  had  ranged  themselves  in  a  cres- 
cent behind  him,  apparently  intending  to  drive  him 
into  the  river.  He  rose,  and  they  halted,  and  made 
way  while  he  passed  to  the  tents.  He  had  his  gun, 
but  he  forbore  to  shoot  for  fear  the  enemies,  the 
Esquimaux,  should  be  lurking  in  the  neighbour- 
hood. Is  not  this  an  instance,  Charles,  that  to 
brave  a  danger  is  more  than  half  to  conquer  it  .^'* 

'*  Indeed,  papa,  I  fear  I  should  have  acted  more 
like  the  poor  deer,  and  have  rushed  down  the  cliff* 
to  have  escaped  from  the  grinding  jaws  of  those 
frightful  animals,"  cried  Charles. 

**  As  Augustus  and  Junius  did  not  appear.  Cap- 
tain Franklin  and  the  officers  set  off"  in  search  of 
them,  leaving  the  Indians  with  Mr.  Wentzel  be- 
hind. Each  person  was  armed  with  a  gun  and  a 
dagger,  as  if  going  to  encounter  a  terrible  enemy^ 
In  the  evening  they  met  Junius,  who  was  coming 
back  to  tell  them  that  they  had  met  with  four  Es- 
quimaux tents,  and  had  held  a  conference  with 
one  of  the  people,  who  expressed  great  alarm  when 


NORTHERN  REOTONS. 


115 


they  were  told  of  the  approach  of  the  whites  and 
the  Indians. 

**  They  learned,  upon  their  arrival,  from  Augus- 
tus that  there  were  only  four  men  and  two  women, 
and  that  they  had  retreated  to  an  island  a  little  far- 
ther off,  after  destroying  their  lodges  as  a  token  to 
their  countrymen,  who  might  chance  to  come  to 
the  spot,  that  enemies  were  at  hand.  Captain 
Franklin  visited  the  deserted  encampment,  where 
he  found  dogs,  provisions,  kettles,  and  various 
household  things,  all  of  which  he  ordered  to  be  ta- 
ken care  of,  that  in  case  the  Esquimaux  returned, 
they  might  find  that  they  were  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  friends  and  not  of  enemies. 

'*  Captain  Franklin  then  despatched  Adam  the 
interpreter,  with  a  party,  to  inform  the  Indians  of 
the  flight  of  the  Esquimaux,  but  Adam  soon  came 
running  back  with  the  news  that  some  Esquimaux 
were  pursuing  the  men  who  had  been  sent  to  collect 
floats.  These  men,  however,  were  soon  perceived 
returning  slowly,  and  reported  that  they  had  un- 
expectedly met  the  Exquimaux  who  were  travelling 
down  to  the  rapid  .  that  the  women  hid  themselves, 
but  that  the  men  began  to  dance  in  a  circle,  tossed 
up  their  hands,  and  made  great  shouts.  One  par- 
ty pulled  off*  their  hats  and  made  bows,  but  neither 
people  seeming  to  wish  to  approach  the  other,  the 
Esquimaux  retired.  The  officers  then  went  to  the 
hill,  and  there,  lying  behind  a  stone,  they  found  an 
old  man,  who  had  been  left  with  the  baggage,  un- 
able to  proceed.  The  old  fellow  was  frightened 
when  he  saw  Augustus  approach,  and  seizing  a 
spear,  thrust  it  at  him.  He  was  soon  pacifled,  alid 
after  receiving  a  few  presents  became  composed. 
He  gave  them  a  good  deal  of  information,  and  af- 
ter asking  the  several  names  of  all  th«  party,  told 


m 


116 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


them  that  his  own  name  was  Terreganeook,  or  the 
white  fox,  of  the  tribe  of  Nagge-ook-tor-meoot,  or 
deer  horn.  This  poor  creature  was  too  infirm  to 
^walk,  and  was  bent  with  age ;  when  he  received  a 
present  he  first  put  it  on  his  right  shoulder,  and 
then  on  his  left,  and^  when  very  much  pleased  he 
rubbed  it  over  his  head.  When  he  looked  at  his 
face  in  a  glass  which  was  held  to  him,  he  cried  out, 
*  I  shall  never  kill  deer  again,'  and  put  the  glass 
down.  His  wife,  who  had  concealed  herself  a- 
mong  the  rocks,  soon  joineu  him. 

"  The  Indians,  through  fear  of  the  Esquimaux, 
now  determined  to  leave  the  travellers  to  them- 
selves, and  to  return,  nor  could  they  be  persuaded 
*to  leave  any  hunters.  The  only  two  who  remain- 
ed, who  had  any  skill  in  hunting,  were  the  inter- 
preters, St.  Germain  and  Adam,  who  likewise 
would  willingly  have  leturned  if  they  had  not 
been  strictly  watched  until  their  countrymen  were 
departed,  when  terror  of  the  Esquimaux  kept 
them  safe  enough. 

**  The  party  now  resumed  their  voyage  down 
the  river  till  they  came  to  where  it  joined  the  sea. 
The  faithful  Hepburn  was  overjoyed  at  the  sight  of 
the  element  on  which  he  had  passed  so  much  of 
his  life,  but  the  Canadians  had  far  other  feelings. 
They  were  terrified  at  the  thoughts  of  braving  the 
rough  waves  of  the  icy  sea  in  a  canoe  made  of 
birch-bark,  and  murmured  bitterly  at  the  cold  and; 
hunger  they  would  have  to  encounter.  * 

"  Thus  was  finished,  my  boys,  another  part  of 
this  vast  journey.  Our  travellers  had  travelled 
ihtfBe  hundred  and  thiity-four  miles  since  they  left 
f^Gtt  Enterprize,  one  hundred  and  seventeen  of 
which  they  had  been  obliged  to  drag  their  bag- 
gage over  snow  and  ice." 


V 


ok,  or  the 
raeoot,  or 
infirm  to 
eceived  a 
Ider,  and 
leased  he 
ed  at  his 
cried  out, 
the  glass 
erself  a- 


(uimaux, 
to  them- 
^rsuaded 
remain- 
be  inter- 
likeivise 
had  not 
en  were 
ix  kept 

e  down 
the  sea. 
sight  of 
inch  of 
eelings. 
'ing  the 
lade  of 
old  and 

part  of 
iveiled 
ley  left 
een  of 
r  bag- 


t;%/. 


"\. 


^jw. 


Puffl- 


fayf 


\i\L 


^ 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


117 


;  .ill 


*'  You  must  expect,  my  boys,  a  chapter  of  hor- 
rors, and  I  own  I  should  be  unwilHng  to  give  you 
so  painful  a  recital,  if  it  were  not  for  the  hope  of 
inspiring  you  with  admiration  at  the  courage  and 
constancy  of  our  band  of  travellers,  and  of  showing 
you  the  value  of  that  fortitude  which  springs  from 
a  well  regulated  and  religious  mind. 

"  Capt.  Franklin  and  his  companions  now  em- 
barked upon  the  Polar  Sea,  pleased  at  the  thoughts 
of  taking  leave  of  fresh  water  navigation,  which 
had  been  a  new  and  troublesome  kind  of  occupa» 
tion  to  most  of  them.  They  paddled  a  long  way 
without  coming  to  any  ice,  and  passed  several 
groups  of  rocky  and  barren  islands,  which  Capt. 
Franklin  named  *  Berens,'  and  '  Sir  Graham 
Moore's'  Islands.  The  coast  was  well  covered  with 
trees  and  h^rbs,  and  a  fat  deer  now  and  then  re- 
warded the  hunter's  toil  when  he  landed  to  hunt. 
After  a  passage  of  about  twenty  miles  they  entered 
the  ice,  and  with  difficulty  paddled  their  little  bark 
through  its  masses,  till  they  reached  Detention  har- 
bour, where  they  landed.  The  ice  was  giving  way 
fast,  and  they  felt  sure  that  it  would  all  of  it  melt 
during  the  summer,  as  there  were  no  traces  of  last 
year's  ice  to  be  met  with.  This  was  some  conso- 
lation for  the  future,  but  still  the  ice,  though  only 
in  small  pieces,  was  so  closely  packed,  that  there 
was  no  prospect  of  being  able  to  push  through  it  at 
present  into  the  open  sea.  This  was  unfortunate, 
because  they  were  so  fearful  of  consuming  all  their 
scanty  store  of  provisions.  They  sent  St.  Ger- 
main on  shore,  and  he  shot  at  several  deer,  but 


Ui 


Hr'jjl 


^( 


II 


118 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


killed  none ;  and  when  they  examined  their  pcni- 
mican,  they  had  the  mortification  to  find  that  two 
of  the  bags  were  mouldy  from  the  damp,  and  the 
beef  was  so  badly  salted  as  to  be  scarcely  eatable. 

*'  They  again  embarked,  and  proceeded  slowly 
and  with  great  danger  through  the  body  of  ice,  till 
their  stock  of  provision  was  reduced  to  an  eight 
days'  consumption.  Captain  Franklin,  remember- 
ing that  Terreganeook  had  told  him  that  the  Es- 
quimaux frequent  the  rivers  at'this  season,  deter- 
mined to  try  to  find  them  to  obtain  relief  for  their 
wants,  and  possibly  n  shelter  for  the  winter.  When 
they  arrived,  therefore,  at  the  mouth  of  a  river 
which  they  named  *  Hood's  River,'  he  sent  Au- 
gustus and  Junius  with  Hepburn  to  seek  for  them 
and  obtain  assistance  and  information.  They  re- 
turned without  having  seen  any  traces  of  the  Es- 
quimaux. The  hunters,  however,  had  been  so 
fortunate  as  to  kill  a  bear  and  several  deer." 

Charles.  The  bear  would  be  of  no  use  to 
them,  papa ;  surely,  its  flesh  is  never  eaten. 

*'  The  flesh  was  brought,  however,  to  the  tent, 
and  the  ofliicers  made  an  excellent  meal  on  its 
broiled  paws ;  but  the  Canadians  fancied,  from 
its  lean  appearance,  that  it  had  been  sickly,  and 
therefore  declined  partaking  of  it.     '      *;. 

*'  They  embarked  again,  and  continued  paddling- 
for  several  days,  making  very  good  progress  and 
finding  plenty  of  deer.  You  will  find,  however, 
that  after  our  travellers  had  left  Cape  Barrow, 
which  is  to  the  north  of  Detention  harbour,  they 
had  been  pursuing  a  south-east  course,  which 
made  them  fear  that  they  were  leaving  the  main 
land,  and  entering  into  a  large  inlet.  This  they 
soon  discovered  was  the  case,  and  this  inlet  was 
terminated  by  a  river  which  they  named  *  Back's 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


110 


River."  Their  only  consolation  for  this  loss  of 
time  was,  that  they  killed  a  musk  ox  and  a  fat 
bear,  which  the  voracious  Canadians  now  no 
longer  refused  to  eat.  A  quantity  of  dried  willows 
enabled  them  to  make  a  good  fire,  and  to  dress 
their  food,  and  the  bear's  flesh  was  pronounced 
excellent.  Fish  they  caught  in  abundance  ;  and 
they  saw  plenty  of  seals,  but  could  not  shoot  them. 

**  After  paddling  for  some  time  north-north- 
west, and  finding  the  ice  impassable  in  that  di- 
rection, they  resumed  an  easterly  course,  and  at 
last  arrived  at  the  eastern  entrance  of  the  inlet, 
which  had  cost  them  nine  valuable  days  in  explor- 
ing, aid  which  they  named  '  Bathurst  Inlet.' 

**  With  the  prospect  of  an  open  sea  before  them, 
they  resumed  their  voyage  along  the  coast,  and 
persevered  till  they  were  stopped  by  a  strong  wind 
after  passing  Cape  Croker,  which  raised  the  waves 
to  such  a  height  that  the  Canadians  were  quite 
terrified,  being  used  only  to  fresh  water  naviga- 
tion. When  the  wind  was  somewhat  diminished, 
they  hoisted  sail,  and  continued  along  the  coast 
till  they  entered  a  large  gulf,  the  only  outlet  from 
which  was  a  winding  shallow  passage.  This  gulf 
Captain  Franklin  named  *  George  the  Fourth's 
Coronation  Gulf,'  and  they  afterwards  passed 
Parry's  Bay  and  Melville  Sound. 

"At  Melville  Sound  they  encamped,  and  Capt. 
Franklin  found  to  his  sorrow  that  the  slight  canoes 
had  suffered  greatly  from  the  rough  sea  and  the 
drifted  ice.  But  he  was  most  grieved  to  find  that 
his  crew,  who  had  hitherto  borne  their  hardships 
cheerfully,  now  felt  such  fear's  for  their  safety 
that  they  could  not  help  expressing  them  even 
before  him.  These  two  circumstances,  added  to 
many  minor  ones,  and  the  impossibility  of  reach* 


i;-Ml 


i 


I  'l 


I  i 


1^/ 


i    I  ' 


120 


NORTHERN  RCCtONS. 


'  \ng  Repulse  Bay  that  season,  made  Capt.  Frank  - 
lin  think  seriously  of  returkiing ;  and,  after  con^ 
suiting  his  brother  officers,  he  announced  his  re- 
solution of  returning  in  four  days,  provided  that 
during  that  time  he  did  not  meet  with  the  Esqui- 
maux.    This  news  cheered  the  Canadians,  who 

,  once  more  set  forward  cheerfully ;  and,  after  pass- 
ing various  bays  and  islands,  they  had  the  plea- 
sure of  seeing  the  open  sea  to  the  north-east. 
They  again  encamped,  and  searched  in  vain  for 
the  Esquimaux.  A  party  of  officers  walked  about 
twelve  miles  on  shore,  till  they  came  to  a  point 
which  they  named  *  Point  Turnagain,'  the  land 
still  continuing  its  northerly  direction. 

"  They  had  sailed  five  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Copper-mine  River,  though 
the  direct  course  would  not  have  been  so  much, 
and  Captain  Franklin  was  convinced  that  there 
was  a  eontiimance  of  sea  as  far  as  Repulse  Bay, 
which  future  navigators  more  fortunately  situated 
might  perhaps  explore.  % 

"  Having  given  up  all  thoughts  of  proceeding 
further  eastward-  their  future  course  was  tiow  to 
be  fixed  upon.  Captain  Franklin^s  original  in- 
dention had  been  to  return  to  the  Copper-mine  Ri- 
ver, and  from  thence  to  go  by  the  Great  Bear  and 
Marten  Lakes  to  the  Great  Slave  Lake,  but  it  was 
now  necessary,  in  consequence  of  the  scarcity  of 
their  provision,  to  fix  upon  a  nearer  place.  He 
determined,  therefore,  to  go  back  to  the  Arctic 
Sound,  where  the  animals  had  been  more  plenti- 
ful ;  and,  after  paddling  as  far  up  Hood's  Ri- 
ver as  possible,  to  make  smaller  canoes  out  of 
itheir  large  ones,  and  to  carry  them  over  the  bar- 
ren grounds  to  Fort  Enterprize. 


NOETIlEilN    REGIONSi 


121 


Frank - 
\er  con- 
I  his  rc- 
Icd  that 
i  Esqui- 
ns,  who 
ter  pass- 
he  plea- 
rth-east. 
vain  for 
ed  about 
0  a  point 
the  land 

fty  miles 
r,  though 
;o  much, 
lat  there 
Ise  Bay, 
situated 

)ceeding 
Is  Fow  to 
inal  in- 
line Ri- 
lear  and 
lut  it  was 
jarcity  of 
Ice.     He 
Arctic 
plenti- 
►d's  Ri- 
|s  out  of 
;he  bar- 


'*  The  shortness  of  the  summer  was  enough  to 
chill  any  one^s  hopes  of  doing  much  ;  it  had  not 
begun  till  the  middle  of  June  ;  und  now,  when  the 
middle  of  August  was  come,  the  geese  were  seen 
returning  southward,  the  nights  were  cold  and  fros- 
ty, and  every  sign  of  winter  agaii.  displayed  itself. 
'*  It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  Captain  Franklin 
left  Turnagain  Point  on  the  same  day  that  Captain 
Parry  sailed  out  of  Repulse  Hay,  and  that  at  this 
time  they  were  separated  from  each  other  only  by  a 
distance  of  five  hundred  and  thirty-nine  miles. 

**  The  deer  on  the  coast  were  now  scarce,  and 
the  Canadian  voyagers  were  so  hungry,  that  they 
even  volunteered  to  make  a  stretch  of  fifteen  miles 
across  Melville  Sound  in  a  very  strong  wind  and 
heavy  sea.  It  was  indeed  a  bold  attempt,  but  the 
little  canoes  reached  the  shore  in  safety,  and  after 
an  encampment  was  made,  the  whole  party  went 
to  hunt.  A  few  more  days'  sailing  enabled  them 
to  reach  Hood's  River,  and  their  voyage  in  the 
Arctic  sda  was  completed  to  the  great  joy  of  the 
Canadians,  who  spent  the  evening  m  talking  over 
their  adventures  and  boasting  much  of  their  own 
exploits.  Ah  !  poor  fellows,  no  thought  of  the 
evils  that  were  to  come,  dam})ed  their  enjoyment 
that  evening. 

"  The  English  Union  flag  was  planted  on  the 
loftiest  bin  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  an  assort- 
ment of  beads  and  looking  glasses  left  as  a  present 
tb  the  Esquimaux  when  they  should  come  there* 

**  Our  party  now  proceeded  up  the  river,  which) 
I  am  grieved  to  say,  will  be  ever  memorable  from 
their  misfortunes.  The  shoals  and  rapids  again  be- 
came so  numerous  as  to  oblige  the  officers  to  walk 
along  the  banks,  while  the  crew  dragged  the  ca- 
ll 


i:.  lil 


w 


^y 


122 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


noes,  thus  lightened  of  their  loads.     After  this  la- 
borious day's  work,  the)'  encamped  at  the  foot  of 
two  magnificent  cascades,  where  the  water  which 
was  confined  between  two  huge  perpendicular  rocks 
rushes  down  a  precipice  of  such  depth  that  tney 
could  only  just  see  the  top  of  the  spray  which  it 
throws  up.     These  falls  tliey  named  the  *  Wilber- 
force  Falls ;'  and  now  the  plan  of  converting  the 
canoes  into  smaller  ones  was  put  into  execution,  and 
completed  in  a  few  days.  Each  man  was  supplied 
with  leather  shoes,  worsted  stockings,  and  other 
warm  clothing.     The  weather  was  warm,  and  all 
were  anxious  to  begin  their  journey  ;  the  officers 
carried  as  much  of  the  baggage  as  they  could,  and 
the  rest  was  divided  between  the   men,  two  of 
whom  carried  the  two  canoes.     They  proceeded 
cheerfully,  notwithstanding  each  had  so  great  a 
weight,  and  they  met  with  a  supply  of  deer  and  ox- 
en.    A  fall  of  snow  was  succeeded  by  heavy  rain, 
and  on  the  first  of  September  they  distributed  their 
last  piece  of  pemniican.     The  men  wer^nuch  fa- 
tigued with  marching  under  such  heavy  burdens,but 
did  not  complain.     They. encamped  for  the  night, 
drenched  with  rain,  and  having  no  fuel  to  make 
fires  of,  continued  in  bed  underneath  their  blankets 
the  whole  of  the  next  day.     This  was  the  begin- 
ning of  their  cal»niities,  the  storm  increased,  the 
tents  were  frozen,  but  the  pangs  of  hunger  soon  be- 
jCame  greater  even  than  those  occasioned  by  the 
cold. 

"  Thinking  that  the  winter  was  set  in,  and  that 
it  would  be  useless  to  delay  their  journey,  the  order 
to  proceed  was  given  on  the  seventh,  although  they 
were  all  unfit  to  travel,  being  weak  from  hunger* 
and  their  clothes  stiffened  with  frost.  Captain 
Fl^Qklln  wds  soiled  with  a  fainting  fit,  and  with 


er  this  la- 
the foot  of 
Iter  which 
:ular  rocks 
that  tdey 
which  it 
*  Wilber- 
erting  the 
ution,  and 
s  supplied 
and  other 
m,  and  all 
le  officers 
could,  and 
n,  two  of 
proceeded 

0  great  a 
er  and  ox- 
eavy  rain, 
^ed  their 
^uch  fa- 
irdensjbut 
the  night, 

1  to  make 
r  blankets 
the  begin- 
jased,  the 
r  soon  he- 
ed by  the 

,  and  that 
,  the  order 
ough  they 
n  hunger, 
Captain 
and  with 


-%- 


:%^ 


.^ 


'% 


i,f^\; 


'm 


TW'' 


/IV: 


;i  1 


1^ 


.n 


^' 


,A/ 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


133 


difficulty  was  persuaded  to  take  a  little  portable 
soup,  being  unwilling  to  diminish  the  scanty  store. 
It  revived  him,  however,  and  they  went  on,  the 
ground  being  covered  with  a  deep  snow  ;  a  wind 
was  blowing,  which  often  threw  down  the  men  who 
carried  the  canoes.  By  this  means  the  largest  oi* 
the  canoes  was  seriously  injured.  This  was  the 
worst  accident  that  could  happen,  because  the 
other  canoe  was  too  small  to  carry  the  party  across 
the  river,  and  it  was  suspected  that  Benoit,  the  Ca- 
nadian who  carried  it,  had  let  it  fall  intentionally, 
that  he  might  not  have  the  trouble  of  carrying  it, 
at  which  he  had  often  murmured.  The  accident, 
however,  could  not  now  be  remedied,  and  therefore 
the  canoe  was  chopped  up,  and  a  good  fire  made 
of  itj  which  served  to  cook  the  remainder  of  the 
portable  soup  and  arrow-root.  This  was  but  a 
scanty  meal  after  so  long  a  fast,  but  it  gave  them 
some  strength  to  proceed,  which  they  did  in  Indian 
defile,  that  is  to  say,  in  each  other's  footsteps,  the 
Canadians  taking  it  in  turns  to  lead  the  way,  having 
some  distant  object  pointed  out  to  direct  them  by. 
"  In  this  manner  they  travelled  along  for  several 
days,  their  only  meals  consisting  of  half  a  partridge 
cooked  with  tripe  deroche,  a  kind  of  glutinous  moss 
which  is  found  sticking  to  the  rocks.  This  repast, 
scanty  indeed  for  men  who  underwent  such  fatigues, 
was  always  received  with  cheerfulness  and  thank- 
fulness. St.  Germain  and  Adam  went  out  to  hunt, 
and  Junius  bringing  a  report  of  a  herd  of  musk  oxen 
on  the  oth^r  side  of  the  river,  the  party  crossed  it 
in  hopes  of  being  able  to  kill  some  of  them.  The 
best  hunters  were  sent  out  but  were  two  hours  in 
getting  wifhin  gun-shot  of  them,  the  others  all 
watching  with  eagerness  and  praying  for  their  suc- 
cess,    Th^y  fired,  one  of  the  largest  fell,  another 


~w 


124 


NOaitrERN  REOIONS. 


too,  was  shot,  but  made  her  escape.  The  starving 
party  rushed  to  work.  In  a  few  minutes  they  had 
skinned  and  cut  up  the  animal ;  they  devoured  the 
contents  of  its  stomach  on  the  spot,  and  the  raw 
intestmes  were  pronounced  delicious.  The  travel^*- 
lers  had  before  been  complaining  of  a  thick  fog  ; 
it  was  this  very  fog  which  had  enabled  them  to  ap- 
proach near  enough  to  shoot  these  oxen,  who 
would  otherwise  have  fled !  How  ignorant  are  we 
of  what  is  best  for  us ! 

"  This  supply  lasted  them  for  two  or  three  days, 
but  instead  of  being  refreshed,  the  whole  party 
seemed  weakened  by  this  supply  of  animal  food. 
Now  again  were  they  reduced  to  their  tripe  dc 
rochc  diet,  which  none  liked,  but  which  afflicted 
Mr.  Hood  particularly,  always  giving  him  a  pain 
in  his  inside.  The  Canadians,  ever  voracious,  but 
ever  improvident,  had  thrown  away  the  fishing 
nets,  and  therefore  no  fish  could  be  procured. 

**  The  travellers  were  getting  weaker  and  weak- 
er, and  to  encourage  them  to  hunt,  Mr.  Hood  lent 
Michael  the  Troquois,  his  gun.  Perrault,  one  of 
the  voyagers,  one  day  came  and  gave  each  of  the 
officers  a  little  piece  of  meat  which  he  had  saved 
from  his  own  allowance,  which  was  a  kindness  so 
unexpected  in  a  Canadian,  that  it  filled  their  eyes 
with  tears.  ^ 

**  In  attempting  to  crossi  the  river,  they  had  to 
lament  the  loss  of  their  best  canoe.  St.  Germain 
the  interpreter.  Captain  Franklin,  and  Belanger,  a 
voyager,  embarked  in  the  little  remaning  one, 
when,  the  breeze  being  fresh,  it  was  driven  to  the 
brink  of  the  rapid.  Belanger  applied  his  paddle,  to 
prevent  the  canoe  being  forced  into  it*  but  he  lost 
his  balance,  and  the  canoe  was  upset.  They  kept 
hold  of  it  however  till  they  touched ^^a  rock,  on 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


135 


which  they  managed  to  keep  their  footing  till  the 
water  was  emptied.  Beianger  then  held  the  canoe 
steady,  while  St.  Germain  put  Captain  Franklin  in- 
to it,  and  got  into  it  himself;  Beianger  they  were 
forced  to  leave  upon  the  rock ;  the  canoe  dashed 
down  the  rapid,  struck,  and  was  again  emptied, 
but  at  last  they  got  safe  to  shore. 

"  Meanwhile,  Beianger,  standing  up  to  his  middle 
in  a  freezing  rapid,  with  his  body  covered  with  wet 
elothes,  roared  out  for  help.  St.  Germain  tried  to 
get  him  into  the  canoe,  but  in  vain,  it  was  hurried 
again  down  the  rapid.  Adam  next  tried  but  could 
not  succeed.  They  then  made  a  line  out  of  slings, 
but  it  did  not  reach  him.  Beianger  was  nearly  ex- 
hausted, when  the  canoe  was  luckily  got  near 
enough  to  throw  to  him  a  small  cord,  by  which 
they  dragged  him,  perfectly  senseless,  through  the 
rapid.  He  was  instantly  stripped,  rolled  up  in 
blankets,  and,  by  Dr.  Richardson's  orders,  two 
men  undressed  themselves  and  lay  by  him  in  the 
bed  ;  but  it  was  some  time  before  warmth  could 
be  restored  in  him.  It  would  be  difficult  to  de- 
scribe the  anxiety  that  Captain  Franklin  had  ex^ 
perienced  during  these  unsuccessful  attempts  to  re- 
lieve Beianger.  Every  time  the  canoe  was  put 
out,  it  dashed  furiously  down  the  rapid,  and  he  lost 
sight  of  it  among  the  rocky  islets.  Once  he  thought 
he  saw  it  buried  in  the  waves,  and  the  sad  fate  of 
all  his  brave  companions  forced  to  wander  about 
the  coast  of  the  lake,  rushed  upon  his  mind.  Hig 
own  fate  ^ould  have  been  decided,  for  he  was 
alone  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  without  gun, 
hatchet,  or  ammunition,  unable  even  to  light  afire, 
or  relieve  himself  from  his  wet  clothes.  This  fate 
however  was  spared  him,  the  canoe  was  saved,  and 


>^\ 


■■H 


1^ 


VZG 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


he  has  been  allowed  to  offer  his  thanksgivings  fur 
his  escape  in  a  civilized  coantry. 

'^  Belanger  was  soon  tolerably  well  again,  and 
the  recollection  of  this  accident  was  lost  in  new 
evils  ;  among  these,  hunger  was  the  most  acute, 
tripe  de  roche  and  pieces  of  singed  hide  being  con* 
sidered  a  capital  meal.  Snow  fell  in  showers,  and 
their  blankets  scarcely  kept  them  warm.  When 
they  encamped  at  night,  they  lighted  a  fire  to 
thaw  their  frozen  shoes,  and  put  dry  ones  on  ;  then 
they  wrote  their  journals,  and  prepared  their  sup- 
per. They  eat  it  in  the  dark  and  then  went  to 
bed,  and  kept  up  cheerful  conversation  till  the 
warmth  of  the  blankets  had  thawed  their  bodies 
and  enabled  them  to  fall  asleep.  When  they  had 
no  fire,  they  went  to  bed  in  their  wet  clothes,  for 
fear  they  should  freeze  so  hard  as  to  prevent  their 
being  able  to  carry  them  next  morning. 

"  Peltier,  the  Canadian,  had  been  carrying  the 
canoe,  but  he  grumbled  so  much,  that  it  was  given 
to  Vaillant,  who  got  on  pretty  well  with  it.  Cap 
tain  Franklin,  who  with  Dr.  Richardson  had  been 
away  from  the  rest  of  the  party  for  a  short  timc> 
returned,  and  found  the  Canadians  over  a  willow 
fire,  seated  at  a  repast  of  pieces  of  skin,  bones  ol' 
deer  which  had  been  killed  by  the  wolves  thr 
year  before,  and  old  shoes.  Peltier  and  Vaillant 
were  with  them,  who  declared  that  the  canoe  had 
had  so  many  falls,  that  it  was  good  for  nothing,  and 
that  they  had  therefore  left  it  behind. 

*  *  This  news  was  a  thunderbolt  to  Ca^^in  Frank- 
lin ;  he  knew  the  canoe  was  their  only  hope,  and 
he  entreated  the  men  to  fetch  it.  They  refused, 
the  officers  were  not  strong  enough,  and  for  their 
thoughtless  obstinacy  the  voyagers  had  to  suffer  far 


*2 '     ' 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


12: 


jnore  than  they  could  have  anticipated  even  in 
their  desponding  state. 

"  They  resumed  their  march,  but  the  snow  had 
hidden  the  foot  marks  of  Mr.  Back  and  the  hun-- 
ters  who  were  gone  before,  and  the  voyagers  be- 
came furious  at  the  thoughts  of  being  deserted.    ^ 

"  Next  morning  they  killed  five  small  deer,  and 
thanked  a  kind  Providencefor  this  welcome  supply* 

*  *  The  greedy  Canadians  eat  so  voraciously,  that 
their  portions  were  soon  consumed,  but  with  the 
strength  they  had  gained,  they  marched  on  till 
they  came  to  a  part  of  the  Copper-mine  river. — 
The  loss  of  their  canoe  was  now  felt,  and  the 
more,  as  neither  a  ford  nor  wood  for  a  raft  could 
be  found.  Mr.  Back  and  the  hunters  were  again 
sent  forward  with  some  hopes  of  meeting  the  In- 
dians and  getting  assistance  from  them.  He  was 
directed  to  cross  the  lake  as  soon  as  he  could  meet 
with  wood  for  a  raft,  and  to  send  a  speedy  supply 
of  food  to  those  behind. 

'*  The  remaining  party  were  with  some  difficulty 
collected,  and  cheered  by  finding  a  putrid  deer,  011 
which  they  breakfasted.  They  set  to  work  to 
make  a  raft  of  willows :  but  the  willows  were  green, 
and  when  finished  it  had  so  little  buoyancy  that 
one  man  only  could  be  supported  upon  it.  It  would 
suffice  to  transport  the  party,  however,  if  a  line 
could  be  conveyed  to  the  other  shore,  and  Belan- 
Gjer  and  Benoit,  the  strongest  of  the  men,  tried  to 
do  this,  but  they  failed  for  want  of  oars.  Every 
plan  was  attempted,  and  at  last  Dr.  Richardson 
said  he  would  swim  across  the  stream  with  the  line, 
and  haul  the  raft  over.  He  plunged  in  with  the 
line  round  his  waist,  but  he  had  not  swam  long  be- 
^e  his  arms  were  benumbed  with  cold  and  he 
a)uld  not  move  them  :  he  turned  upon  his  back^ 


M 


i 


11 


1 1 


128 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


and  had  nearly  reached  the  shore,  when  his  Ic^s 
too  got  benumbed,  and  he  began  to  sink.  His  ter- 
rified companions  pulled  the  line,  and  dragged  him 
back  again  almost  lifeless.  They  rolled  him  in 
blankets,  placed  him  before  a  good  fire,  and  he 
fortunately  was  able  just  to  speak  and  tell  them 
how  he  ought  to  be  treated.  Towards  evening  he 
was  able  to  converse  a  little,  and  they  removed 
him  into  the  tent.  He  had  lost  the  sense  of  feeling 
in  one  side,  and  when  stripped,  even  the  Cana<» 
dians  shuddered  at  the  skeleton  form  which  ap^ 
peared  before  them. 

"  It  was  his  being  so  dreadfully  thin  and  starved 
that  caused  the  cold  water  to  take  so  powerful  an 
effect  upon  him.  What  increased  the  pain  he  suf* 
fered  was  that  when  he  was  getting  into  the  wa- 
ter, he  trod  upon  a  dagger  and  cut  his  foot  to  the 
bone,  but  this  did  not  stop  him  in  his  brave  attempt. 

**  The  raft  plan  failing,  St.  Germain  undertook 
to  make  a  canoe  out  of  the  pieces  of  canvas  in 
which  they  had  wrapped  up  their  clothes.  In  the 
mean  time  Mr.  Back  returned  without  any  news 
of  the  Indians.  Officers  and  voyagers  daily  grew 
weaker  and  weaker,  the  former  not  being  now 
strong  enough  to  gather  tripe  de  roche  for  their 
meals,  and  Samandr^  the  cook  refusing  to  exert 
himself,  Hepburn,  the  faithful  Hepburn  alone  re- 
mained active,  and  collected  the  supply,  for  the 
daily  mess  of  the  officers. 

**  The  canoe  at  last  was  finished,  the  whole  par- 
ty transported  one  by  one  across  the  river,  and 
Mr.  Back,  with  Beauparlant,  St.  Germain  and  Be- 
langer,  again  sent  in  search  of  the  Indians.  The 
remaining  party,  after  eating  the  remains  of  their 
old  shoes  and  scraps  of  leather,  set  off  ovei 
range  of  black  hills,'  The  tri^e  de  roche  disagrel 


0- '.  ^  1 


NORTHERN  REGION'S. 


Itld 


i'ug  with  Cr<?dit  and  Vaillant,  these  men  were  weak- 
er than  the  others,  and  news  was  brought  to  the 
party  in  advance  that  they  could  proceed  no  farther. 
**  Dr.  Richardson  turned  back,  and  found  them 
lying  in  different  places  in  a  terrible  condition  j 
they  fell  down  whenever  they  attempted  to  move, 
and  when  some  of  the  strongest  men  were  en- 
treated to  go  and  carry  them  and  bring  them  to 
the  fire,  they  positively  refused,  and  even  threat- 
ened to  lay  down  their  loads  and  make  the  best 
of  their  way  to  Fort  Enterprize.  j  {   ;    < 

**  After  consulting  what  was  to  be  done,  it  was 
agreed  that  Dr.  Richardson  and  Mr.  Hood  should 
remain  behind  with  Hepburn,  in  order  both  to  re- 
lieve the  other  party  from  the  trouble  of  carrying 
the  tent,  and  to  assist  Credit  and  Vaillant  if  they 
should  survive.  Captain  Franklin  with  his  party 
were  to  go  in  search  of  the  Indians,  or  to  Fort 
Enterprize,  and  to  send  succour  as  soon  as  any 
could  be  obtained.  With  a  heavy  heart  he  took 
leave  of  his  brother  officers,  whom  nothing  but 
the  most  urgent  necessity  would  have  induced 
him  to  part  fi:om." 

**  Charles.  These  brave  men  will  perish, 
papa,  in  this  wretched  situation  :  I  cannot  bear  the 
thoughts  of  their  remaining  here." 

"  The  result,  my  dear  boy,  was,  I  fear,  nearly 
as  melancholy  as  you  imagine  ;  but,  at  all  events, 
they  acted  as  they  felt  it  their  duty  to  do,  and  their 
noble  devotion  of  their  own  lives  ought  to  be  an 
example  to  all,  though  few,  1  trust,  are  likely  to 
be  exposed  to  such  trials. 

*'  Mr.  Hood's  extreme  weakness  rendered  it  unfit 
for  him  to  proceed ;  Dr.   Richardson  stayed  be- 

•pe  he  devoted  himself  to  succour  the  weak,  and 
pburn,  from  his  attachment  to  his  officers 


!-w| 


t     If: 


ISO 


NORTHERN  REGIOPTS. 


Leaving  these  three,  however,  I  will  begin  by  tel 
ling  you  how  Captain  Franklin's  travelling  party 
got  on. 

*'  The  snow  was  very  deep,  and  before  they  had 
proceeded  many  miles  they  were  forced  to  en- 
camp. Michael  and  Belanger  were  quite  exhaust- 
ed. Belanger  bursting  into  tears  entreated  Cap- 
tain Franklin  to  let  him  return  to  his  tent,  and 
Michael  made  the  same  request.  After  passing  the 
night  in  a  wretched  and  half  perished  condition, 
Captain  Franklin  consented  to  let  these  two  re- 
turn, sending  a  note  by  them  to  Dr.  Richardson 
to  tell  him  of  a  group  of  pines,  which  would  afford 
good  shelter  for  the  tent.  Michael  took  a  good 
deal  of  ammunition  with  him,  and  said  he  would 
go  in  search  of  Vaillant,  asking  permission  to 
have  his  blanket  if  he  found  him. 

**  Leaving  Michael  and  Belanger  at  the  en- 
campment, the  rest  went  on,  when  Perrault  and 
Fontano  were  seized  with  dizziness. 

**  A  few  morsels  of  burnt  leather  enabled  them 
to  proceed.  Perrault,  however,  soon  became  too 
ill,  and  therefore  he  was  sent  back  to  the  encamp* 
ment,  where  the  smoke  of  a  good  fire  was  still 
seen,  and  they  watched  him  till  he  had  got  nearly 
there.  The  others  then  left  the  snow,  which  was 
deep  and  troublesome,  and  tried  to  cross  the  lake, 
but  the  ice  was  so  slippery  that  they  foil  at  every 
step. 

**  And  now  they  had  the  grief  of  parting  with 
another  of  their  companions.  Poor  Fontano  was 
again  seized  with  dizziness,  and  as  there  was  no 
possibility  of  carrying  him,  the  other  men  being  too 
weak,  and  no  tripe  de  roche  to  nourish  him  with, 
there  was  no  alternative  but  that  of  sending 
back  to  attempt  to  join  the  party  at  the  tent. 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


131 


spirits  of  the  whole  party  were  extremely  deject- 
ed. Fontano  had  that  morning  been  speaking  of 
his  father,  and  begging  Captain  Franklin,  if  they 
survived  this  journey,  to  take  him  to  England  and 
put  him  in  a  way  of  reaching  home,  for  he  was 
an  Italian. 

"  Captain  Franklin  had  now  only  four  voyagers 
with  him,  Adam,  Peltier,  Bonoit,  and  Samandr^. 
Augustus  had  gone  on,  being  impatient  at  the  de- 
lay caused  by  so  many  being  sent  back.  Their 
journey  was  just  the  same  as  before,  and  they  ar- 
rived in  excessive  weariness  at  Fort  ^nterprize, 
where,  alas  !  no  traces  of  human  beings  could  be 
fi^und.  No  Indians,  no  provisions,  no  letter  from 
Mr.  Wentzel ;  in  short,  they  had  been  utterly  ne- 
glected, Akaitcho  had  broken  his  promise,  and  on 
entering  this  miserable  al»od€,  where  they  had 
hoped  to  find  rest  and  succou- ,  they  all  burst  into 
tears,  the  melancholy  fate  of  their  poor  compan- 
ions behind  rushing  into  their  minds. 

*'  They  found  indeed  a  note  from  Mr.  Back, 
saying  that  not  finding  provisions  at  Fort  Enter- 
prize  he  was  gone  on  with  his  party  to  Fort  Provi- 
dence, but  that  the  wea  state  they  were  all  in, 
rendered  it  very  probable  that  none  of  them  might 
hve  to  reach  it. 

"  Thus  abandoned  they  set  to  work  to  collect 
skins  and  tripe  de  roche  for  supper,  and  som«  wood 
that  they  pulled  up  out  of  the  floor  made  them  an 
excellent  fire.  Augustus  joined  them,  and  Solo^ 
^lon  Belanger  came  in  a  few  days  from  Mr.  Back 
to  say  he  could  not  find  the  Indians,  and  to  receive 
ojders  how  to  go  on.  This  poor  fellow  had  had  a 
SkW  into  a  rapid<  and  was  covered  with  ice  and  was 
i||lfee  speechless;  but  affliction  had  softened  the 
JH&s  pf  the  voyagers,  and  Captain  Franklin  ob>^ 


i 


132 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


i!     !l 


served  with  pleasure  that  they  set  about  cheering 
and  warming  Belanger,  and  forgot  their  own  suf- 
ferings in  their  care  for  another. 

**  WhenBelanger  was  recovered,  he  returned  to 
Mr.  Back)  and  Benoit  and  Augustus  were  sent  in 
another  direction  in  search  of  the  Indians,  the  party 
at  the  Fort  being  now  reduced  to  four.  Two  of 
these,  Adam  and  Samandr<^',  were  unable  to  stir, 
so  that  Peltier  and  Captain  Frank  lin  had  to  share 
the  fatigue  of  collecting  the  wood,  pounding  the 
bones,  and  preparing  the  two  meals  which  Captain 
Franklin  insisted  they  should  eat  every  day. 

"  The  tripe  de  rochc  now  became  almost  too 
frozen  to  be  gathered,  and  the  strength  of  the  par- 
ty declined  daily.  When  they  sat  down  they  could 
scarcely  get  up  jigain,  and  had  to  lift  one  another 
from  their  seats.     Their  mouths  were  sore  from 
eating  the  bone  soup,  and  they  left  it  offand  made 
soup  of  the  skin  instead  of  frying  it.     Peltier,  the 
strongest  among  them,  was  now  almost  unable  to 
fetch  wood.     One  day  they  heard  the  sound  of 
voices :  "  Ah,  the  Indians  !*'  they  cried  with  joy  j 
but,  alas !  no,  it  was   Dr.  Richardson  and  Hep- 
burn, carrying  each  of  them  their  bundle.     Both 
parties  were  shocked  at  the  sight  of  each  other's 
thin  skeleton  faces  and   hollow  voices  $  and  Dr. 
Richardson  entreated  the  others  to  look  and  speak 
more  cheerfully,   little  thinking  that  his  own  ap- 
jiearance  was  quite  as  melancholy.  Hepburn  had 
brought  a  partridge,   which  they  warmed  at  the! 
fire,  tore  it  into  six  parts  and   swallowed  raven- 
ously.   *  Hood  and   Michael  are  dead,'  said  Dr< 
^   Richardson ;  *  and  where  are  Perrault  and  Fonta- 
♦  lioj'     *  They  have  never  been  heard  of.' 


NOrwTHERN  REGION'S. 


im 


^'  Dr.  Richardson  brought  liis  prnycr  book,  and 
read  to  them  some  prayers  and  psahns,  and,  ratlicr 
more  composed,  the  whole  party  went  to  bed. 

**  Tli€  next  night,  when  the  voyagers  were  all 
reposing,  Dr.  Richardson  gave  Captain  Franklin 
an  account  of  what  had  passed  since  they  had  been 
parted.  •      •  j 

"  *  When  you  took  leave  of  us.  Hood  and  my- 
self sat  over  our  willow  fire,  and  read  in  some  good 
!)Ooks  which  a  lady  had  provided  us  with  before 
we  left  England.  VVe  were  much  comforted,  and 
talked  cheerfully ;  and,  if  my  poor  friend  were 
alive,  I  should  look  back  with  delight  to  this  period 
of  my  life.  A  few  days  after,  Michael,  the  Tro- 
quois,  came  with  your  note,  begging  i?s  to  remove 
to  a  clump  of  pines.  He  said  that  Solomon  Be- 
langer  had  left  the  fire  before  him,  and  that  he  sup- 
posed he  had  lost  his  way.  He  brought  his  gun 
with  him,  and  shot  us  some  hares  and  partridges, 
and  Hepburn  exclaimed,  *  Oh,  how  I  shall  love 
this  man  if  he  does  not  tell  lies  like  the  other  voy- 
agers.' We  got  to  the  pines,  and  Michael  left  us 
for  a  day  or  two :  his  conduct  was  very  extraordi- 
)iary  and  very  savage,  sometimes  refusing  to  hunt 
or  to  cut  wood,  or  to  do  any  thing  we  wished  him  ; 
and  once  he  answered  Mr.  Hood  surlily,  *  it  is  no 
use  hunting  ;  you  had  better  kill  and  eat  me.' — 
Poor  Mr.  Hood  was  daily  getting  weaker  ;  the  tripe 
de  roche  gave  him  so  much  pain  that  he  could  not 
eat  more  than  a  spoonful  at  a  time.  Our  minds 
were  weak  as  well  as  our  bodies  ;  we  felt  as  if  we 
could  not  bear  our  horrible  situation  anv  lonffer — 
we  tried  not  to  talk  of  it — our  only  study  was  not 
to  complain. 
^  12 


1 


134 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


M 


K    ? 


•*  *  One  morning  we  begged  Michael  to  go  and 
hunt,  but  he  lingered  about  the  fire  cleaning  his 
gun.  I  went  to  gather  some  tripe  de  rochet  leaving 
Mr.  Hood  at  the  fire  arguing  with  Michael,  and 
Hepburn  cutting  wood  at  a  little  distance  from  the 
tent.  In  a  few  minutes  1  heard  a  gun  and  Hep- 
burn's mournful  ciy ;  and,  getting  to  the  tent  as 
soon  as  1  could,  I  found  that  poor  Hood  was  life- 
less. A  ball  had  been  shot  through  hia  head.  Mi- 
chael attempted  to  make  out  a  story  that  he  had 
been  shot  by  accident ;  but  the  ferocious  looks  of 
this  fellow  and  his  confusion,  convinced  us  both 
that  he  was  the  murderer.  Our  horror  was  be- 
yond every  thing  ;  but  Hepburn  and  myself  care- 
fully avoided  letting  him  know  that  we  suspected 
him,  for  we  kneiv  that  if  he  had  done  the  wicked 
deed,  he  would  not  hesitate  to  kill  us. 

(( 4  \Yc  carried  the  body  beneath  some  willows, 
and  that  evening  read  the  funeral  service  in  addi- 
tion to  the  evening  prayers. 

**  *  The  next  day  we  patched  our  garments  and 
set  out  travelling.  M  ichael  was  very  surly,  and  for 
ever  was  saying  that  we  thought  ill  of  him,  and 
that  Hepburn  told  tales  of  him.  In  short,  we  felt 
sure  that  he  meant  to  kill  us,  and  we  were  too 
weak  to  hope  to  make  our  escape  from  him.  The 
first'^occasion  on  which  he  left  us  alone,  Hepburn 
told  me  many  things  which  made  me  decide  what 
to  do;  and,  as  soon  as  he  joined  us  again  I  took 
ray  pistol  and  shot  him  through  the  head.  This 
was  B  painful  deed  to  perform,  but  the  danger  to 
the  faithful  Hepburn  made  me  think  it  right  to  do 
it.  Our  journey  since  to  this  place  has  been  a 
painful  and  fatiguing  one." 

*•  Thus  ended  the  Doctor's  sad  story;  and  n^w 
the  two  united  parties  put  forth  all  their  strength  io 


)  go  and 
Ding  his 
» leaving 
ael,  and 
from  the 
nd  Hep- 
I  tent  as 
was  life- 
)ad.  Mi- 
t  he  had 
looks  of 
us  both 
was  bc- 
elfcarc- 
Lispected 
D  wicked 

willows, 
in  addi> 

cnts  and 

,  and  for 

m,  and 

,  we  felt 

ere  too 

1.    The 

lepburn 

de  what 

I  took 

This 

ngcr  to 

It  to  do 

been  a 

nd  now 


jngthto 


ii 


/■("i 


Jhfit 


In 


i   !i'l! 


U 


m 


¥  ' 


* 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


135 


provide  food,  Scmandr^  and  Peltier  getting  daily 
worse.  The  poor  fellows  soon  were  too  ill  to  eat  e- 
ven  what  food  could  be  got  them,  and  in  the  course 
of  a  few  days  they  died.  Their  connpanions  remo- 
ved the  two  bodies  into  a  further  part  of  the  house, 
but  they  were  not  strong  enough  to  carry  them 
out  or  to  bury  them.  This  loss  of  their  brothers 
in  misfortune  was  a  great  shock  to  all  the  party, 
and  their  spirits  were  very  low.  Their  stock  of 
bones  was  finished,  and  the  fatigue  of  taking  the 
hair  offthe  skin  to  make  it  into  soup,  was  now  too 
great  for  any  of  them.  The  hardness  of  the  floor, 
which  was  only  covered  when  the)'  slept  by  a  blank- 
et, had  caused  great  soreness  to  their  skeleton  bo- 
dies, but  even  in  the  midst  of  these  hsrdships,  they 
could  enjoy  three  or  four  ''ours  sleep  at  night, 
and, strange  to  say,  their  d  jw  were  always  about 
the  pleasure  of  feasting.  L»  proportion  as  they 
lost  their  strength,  they  lost  the  power  of  directing 
their  minds.  They  were  pettish  with  one  another 
without  any  reason.  If  one  recommended  the  other 
to  take  a  warmer  place,  the  other  was  angry  be- 
cause he  could  not  bear  the  idea  of  moving. 

"  Hepburn  at  last  cried  out,  *  If  we  do  ever 
reach  England,  I  wonder  if  we  shall  recover  the 
use  of  our  understandings.' 

"At  last  Adam  appeared  dying.  Captain  Frank- 
lin was  employed  in  cheering  him,  and  Dr.  Rich- 
ardson and  Hepburn  cutting  wood,  when  a  musket 
shot  was  heard,  and  three  Indians  came  up  totho 
house-  The  two  officers  knelt  down  and  returned 
thanks  to  heaven  for  their  deliverance,  and  Adam 
tried  to  get  up  but  fell  down.  The  Indians  had 
been  sent  by  Mr.  Back,  and  brought  some  dried 
deer's  meat  and  tongues.  Dr.  Richardson,  Cap- 
tain Franklin,  and  Hepburn  eat  voraciously,  and 


jg 


IM 

Hi 

IIH 

H|       ^ 

1  iH 

yH     i 

IH 

11      ' 

1 

1 

I 

H 

1 

1 

u 

1 1 

1 

1  ^ 

M 

m    \ 

1 

m 

I 

'ft  ^ 

III 

1  ; 

H  ^^|b 

Hi 

11 

1 

iH 

1  |jri|i 

iM 

M     1 

HhhI 

ffif     'i 

■ 

11 

1 

1  1 

HI 

wii 

I 

1 1 

n 

II 

13G 


NORTHERN  hegions. 


of  course  suftcred  dreadfully,  and  had  no  rest  ali 
night.  Adam  could  not  feed  himself,  and  therefore 
was  better  off.  The  Indians  jrave  him  small  pie- 
ces at  a  time,  and  would  not  let  him  eat  too  much. 
One  Indian  was  then  despatched  to  Mr.  Back  to 
request  him  to  send  some  more  food  ;  and  Crook- 
ed-foot and  the  Rat,  the  two  others,  remained  to 
take  care  of  the  party_  These  kind  creatures  never 
rested  till  they  had  made  the  travellers  somewhat 
comfortable.  They  buried  the  dead  bodies,  cleared 
the  room  of  the  dirt,  kept  up  cheerful  fires,  and 
persuaded  the  travellers  to  wash  and  shave  them- 
selves. Their  robust  forms,  which  appeared  quite 
gigantic  aside  of  the  poor  travellers,  surprised 
them  as  much  as  the  active  manner  in  which  they 
set  about  every J;hing.  A  fresh  arrival  of  food  and 
Indians,  completed  the  happy  feelings  of  our  suf- 
ferers, and  before  very  long,  they  had  finished 
their  journey  to  the  camp,  aided  by  the  tender 
cares  of  the  Indiants,  who  fed  them  like  chil- 
dren, cooked  for  them,  and  prepared  their  en- 
campment. Thus  you  see,  my  boys,  there  arc 
kind  hearted  savages,  as  many,  many  stories  will 
prove. 

"  The  reception  of  this  sad  party  at  the  Chiers 
camp  was  very  striking  ;  they  were  looked  at  with 
compassion,  and  in  solemn  silence  for  a  quarter  of 
an  hour,  as  a  mark  of  condolence.  Their  old 
friend  Akaitcho  would  not  suflfer  a  word  to  be 
spoken  till  they  had  tasted  food.  He  cooked  for 
them  himself,  which  in  general  he  would  have  con- 
sidered as  very  unbecoming  his  dignity.  The  next 
day  every  Indian  in  th«)  tribe  came  to  see  them, 
and  to  show  their  pity  for  what  they  had  suffered. 
These  poor  creatures  themselves  were  in  great  af- 
fliction, having  lost  three  of  their  relations  in  a 


^ 


'iff 


NORTHERN  REGION?. 


137 


rapid.  Every  morning  and  evening  they  sang 
the  names  of  their  lost  relations  amid  showers  of 
tears.  %      . 

"  A  very  few  days  brouoht  letters  from  Mr. 
Back,  as  well  as  from  England,  by  which  they  had 
the  joy  of  learning  of  Captain  Parry's  safe  return, 
and  that  they  themselves  had  received  promotion. 
Mr.  Back,  however,  had  not  sent  the  presents 
which  had  been  promised  to  Akaitcho  for  his  assis- 
tance to  the  expedition,  for  which  Captain  Frank- 
lin was  much  vexed. 

**  After  taking  leave  of  Akaitcho  for  a  time,  the 
party  again  set  forward,  and  soon  reached  Fort 
Providence,  where  they  were  once  more  in  a  com- 
fortable  dwelling.  They  fell  on  their  knees  in 
gratitude  for  this  blessing.  ^ 

*'  Mr.  Back  had  a  sad  story  to  relate,  but  it 
shall  be  a  short  one,  as  I  see,  Charles,  your  face  is 
quite  long  with  the  dismal  adventures  of  the  part3^ 

**  You  remember  that  Mr.  Back  set  off  with 
Solomon  Belanger  and  Beauparlant,  to  get  succour 
at  Fort  Enterprize,  and  send  it  to  the  others  whom 
ihey  had  left  behind.  Their  journey  was  of  the 
same  melancholy  kind  as  that  of  the  others.  lu 
crossing  the  lake,  Belanger  fell  into  the  ice  two  or 
three  times,  and  was  got  out  by  the  others  fastening 
their  worsted  belts  together,  and  dragging  him  up; 
then,  by  lighting  a  fire,  they  prevented  his  clothes, 
from  freezing  ;  but  it  was  long  before  he  could  get 
warm,  though  he  was  so  near  the  flame  as  to  burn 
his  hair :  a  gun  cover  and  an  old  pair  of  shoes  pro- 
vided him  with  a  meal  or  two.  Their  arrival  at 
Fort  Enterprize,  had  occasioned  them  the  same 
disappointment  as  it  did  the  others.     Mr.  W^nt;^! 

J2* 


''mmi 


'f  Hi 


.^P 


\i 


I! 


mm 


:}u 


138 


NORTHERN   REGIONS 


^ 
v 


had  taken  away  the  trunks,  and  left  no  guide  tu 
direct  them  where  to  find  the  Indians. 

"  According  to  St.  Germain's  advice,  the  party 
next  went  into  the  woods  to  look  for  deer.  Beau- 
parlant  became  very  weak,  and  complained  that  he 
could  not  go  on.  Mr.  Back  comforted  him,  and 
told  him  that  a  few  steps  further  they  should  find 
fuel  to  make  a  fire.  *  Well,  take  your  axe,  Mr. 
Back,  andl  will  follow,  I  shall  be  with  you  when 
your  encampment  is  made.*  This  was  the  answer 
that  the  poor  fellow  made,  and  the  last  words  he 
was  heard  to  utter.  Mr.  Back  and  St.  Germain 
soon  found  some  deers'  heads  peeping  out  of  the 
snow.  They  had  been  left  there  by  the  wolves, 
and  were  without  eyes  or  tongues.  *  Thank  God 
we  are  saved,'  l^irst  from  their  lips,  and  they  shook 
hands  for  joy. 

"  It  got  dark,  Beauparlant  did  not  come  ;  they 
fired  guns,  and  he  answered  the  signals.  They 
had  not  strength  to  go  to  him,  but  Mr.  Back  hoped 
that  he  had  lighted  himself  a  fire,  which,  with  his 
blanket,  would  keep  him  warm  through  the  night. 
Next  morning  St.  Germain  went  to  fetch  him,  but 
returned  with  his  bundle  only,  and  his  eyes  filled 
with  tears.  He  had  found  the  poor  fellow  dead. 
He  was  frozen  to  death.  Mr.  Back  was  horror- 
struck. 

*'  Belanger  returned  from  the  party  at  the  fort, 
and  the  melancholy  tale  of  the  five  he  had  left 
there,,  made  the  interpreter  St.  Germain  shed 
tears  in  telling  it. 

**  After  another  interval  of  long  suffering,  the 
cry  of  *  footsteps  of  Indians'  was  heard  from  Be- 
ianger,  and  the  sight  of  the  Indian  boy  with  some 
meat  completed  their  joy.  They  joined  Akaitcho's 
camf)  in  the  eveuing,  and  the  good  old  man  was 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


139 


much  affected  with  the  story  of  their  sufferings, 
and  instantly  despatched  the  timely  succour  to  thf? 
party  at  Fort  Enterprize,  without  which  they 
would  soon  have  perished. 

"As  we  have  seen  the  two  parties  safe,  little 
more  is  to  be  added.  Captain  Franklin  and  Dr. 
Richardson  travelled  in  carioles  to  Moose-deer 
island,  where  they  were  joined  by  Mr.  Back,  and 
where,  surrounded  by  kirjd  friends*,  they  regained 
gradually  their  health,  so  that  by  the  return  of 
spring,  they  were  able  to  walk.  Hepburn,  how- 
ever, was  confined  to  his  bed  by  a  rheumatic  fever 
six  weeks.  In  May  they  embarked  for  Fort  Chi- 
pewyan,  from  which  place  they  had  the  pleasure 
of  sending  to  Akaitcho  and  his  companions  the 
stores  and  presents  which  had  been  promised. 
u  *'  They  were  very  glad  to  be  able  to  do  this, 
ei5pecially  as  the  leader's  mother  having  died, 
the  tribe  had  broken  every  thing  in  their  grief, 
and  were  in  great  distress.  At  Fort  Chipewyan 
Captain  Frankhn  sent  home  the  remaining  Ca- 
nadian voyagers;  and  furnished  with  a  canoe  and 
a  guide,  and  accompanied  by  Augustus,  arrived 
at  York  Factory,  after  a  journey  of  five  thousand 
tivq  hundred  and  fifty  miles.'* 


its 

m 


a.'- 


140 


XORTIIERN   REGION?, 


PART  III. 


CHAPTER  I. 


m 


The  melancholy  sensations  caused  by  the  his 
tory  of  Captain  Franklin's  adventures  and  suffer- 
ings were  hardly  worn  off,  when  Tom  and  Charles 
watched  a  post  chaise  drive  up  the  long  avenue, 
and  running  to  the  portico,  they  reached  it  in  time 
to  open  the  chaise  door  for  uncle  Richard  to  de- 
scend. Charle^  shook  hands  with  him  with  unal- 
loyed delight,  while  Tom  fixed  his  searching  eyes 
upon  him,  as  much  as  to  say  *  have  you  been  suf- 
fering depredations  and  hardships  like  those  we 
have  been  hearing  of?'  But  uncle  Richard  look- 
ed younger  and  more  cheerful  than  ever,  and 
soon  satisfied  even  Tom  that  his  adventures  had 
been  of  a  very  safe  and  amusing  nature.  **  For,  de- 
pend  upon  it.  my  boys,  I  have  had  a  merry  time  of 
it  among  those  Esquimaux  animals,  as  we  call 
ihera ;  and  if  I  do  not  make  you  laugh  with  my  sto- 
ries of  them,  you  do  not  deserve  to  hear  them." 

The  whole  family  were  too  well  assured  of  the 
power  uncle  Richard  possessed  to  amuse  and  in- 
terest them,  not  to  press  him  to  give  them  the 
whole  narrative  of  his  voyage  as  he  had  done  be- 
fore ;  and  uncle  Richard,  flattered  by  their  deter- 
mination to  be  pleased,  was  not  long  in  consenting. 
Tom's  maps  had  been  ready  spread  upon  the  study 
table  for  several  days ;  and  Charles,  who  had 
tre^n  studying  short  hand ,  was  provided  with  a  little 


-•.'"-©■Vt:..., 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


141 


red  book  and  pencil,  to  take  notes  of  the  most  in- 
teresting parts  of  his  uncle's  history.  Various^ 
sketches  which  their  uncle  had  made,  lay  in  a 
port  folio  at  his  eJbow,  but  were  not  produced  be- 
forehand, in  order  to  have  their  full  effect  when 
aided  by  explanation. 

**  As  you  took  the  trouble,  my  friends,  to  follow 
me  in  my  last  voyage,  T  shall  skip  over  the  particu- 
lars of  this,  which  was  very  similar,  merely  stating 
that  we  left  London  in  May  1821 ;  Captain  Parry 
commanding  the  Fury,  Captain  Lyon  the  Hecla,  in 
which  ship  I  too  had  the  honour  to  be,  and  the  Nau- 
tilus transport  accompanying  to  convey  our  stores. 
It  was  more  than  a  month  before  we  saw  the  first 
ice-berg,  when  we  old  sailors  laughed  at  the  young- 
ones,  for  hastening  on  deck  to  look  at  these  huge 
floating  hills  of  ice.  Our  scene  of  action  here  be- 
gan. After  unloading  the  Nautilus  and  taking  her 
goods  on  board,  we  despatched  her  back  again  to 
old  England,  with  heaps  of  letters  and  messages, 
and  saluted  her  crew  with  three  cheers  as  they  dis- 
appeared from  our  view^  We  had  a  little  diversion 
on  our  passage  in  falling  in  with  a  ship  carrying 
some  Dutch  people  who  \yere  going  to  colonize  on 
the  Red  River.  As  we  got  near  to  them  we  ob- 
served them  waltzing  on  deck,  the  men  in  grey 
jackets,  the  women  in  long-eared  mob  caps.  With 
our  ships  surrounded  by  ice  and  the  thermometer 
at  freezing  point,  we  could  not  help  laughing  at  this 
unseasonable  ball;  we  found  on  getting  up  to 
them  they  had  been  a  long  time  upon  the  voyage, 
and  almost  despaired  of  ever  getting  to  their  jour- 
ney's end.  They  had  done  what  they  could,  how- 
ever, to  make  themselves  happy ;  several  marriages 
had  taken  place,  the  surgeon  acting  as  a  parson, 
and  the  happy  couples  were  always  married  on  fine 
days,  when  they  could  have  a  dance  in  the  evening* 


142 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


(( 


■.^i 


Our  voyage  was  becoming  tedious  enough,  a;" 
we  had  been  nineteen  days  going  sixty  miles,  but 
as  we  had  no  ladies  on  board,  we  could  not  make 
i?o  merry  as  our  Dutch  neighbours ;  we  had  some 
sport,  however,  with  a  huge  bear,  which  wc  spied 
lying  comfortably  on  a  piece  of  ice ;  he  was  chas- 
ed by  two  boats,  and  moved  quietly  to  the  water  : 
he  swam  rapidly,  but  boldly  turning  his  face  to  his 
pursuers  as  long  as  he  had  any  strength,  and  wc 
had  hard  work  to  kill  him  ;  he  was  a  very  fat  and 
bulky  fellow,  of  a  yellow  white,  and  very  sticky  to 
the  touch  ;  our  seamen  partook  of  the  llcsh,  and 
liked  it  pretty  well,  and  a  large  tub  of  oil  for  win- 
ter store  was  procured  from  it. 

"  Wc  were  now  off  Savage  Islands,  which  yon 
may  observe  are  but  at  the  beginning  of  Hudson's 
Strait,  when  we  had  our  first  interview  for  this  sea- 
son with  the  Esquimaux,  which  is  a  general  name 
for  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  most  northern  parts  of 
North  America,  and  whom  you  may  consider  as 
friends,  for  I  shall  make  you  familiar  enough  with 
them,  before  I  have  done.  A  shout,  as  usual,  an- 
nounced the  approach  of  their  canoes,  and  '  ha,' 
*  ha'a,  resounded  loudly  through  the  ships ;  fivo 
Oomiaks  and  thirty  canoes,  were  by  the  side  of  us 
in  less  than  an  hour,  and  a  merry  barter  there  was 
betwixt  us  ;  their  curiosities  being  as  eagerly  de- 
manded by  us,  and  our  iron  and  toys  by  them. — . 
The  Oomiaks  or  luggage  boats,  which  convey  the 
women,  were  each  steered  by  an  old  man  with  an 
oar,  who  seemed  to  have  some  kind  of  authority 
over  the  ladies,  whom  he  occasionally  kept  in  or- 
der by  a  box  of  the  ear ;  there  were  some  few 
boys,  but  the  rest  were  chiefly  women,  who  at  first 
were  shy,  but  afterwards  became  noisy  enough ; 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


143 


as  for  the  features  of  the  fair  sex,  I  ^vish  I  could 
describe  them ;  you  might  indeed  sec  them  for  ever 
without  discovering  the  colour  of  their  skin,  un- 
der the  coating  of  blood,  grease,  and  dirtj  which 
oovers  it ;  their  jet  black  locks,  sometimes  knot- 
ted up,  but  generally  streaming  in  wildness  about, 
added  to  their  frightful  and  disgusting  appear- 
ance. 

**  The  old  women  are  so  truly  hideous,  with  in- 
ilamed  eyes,|wrinklcd  skin  and  black  teeth,  that  I 
am  not  at  all  surprised,  that  former  voyagers  re- 
ported that  they  had  seen  witches  on  this  shore ; 
I,  indeed,  would  rather  compare  them  to  a  dressed 
up  Ourang  Outang.  I  must  not  forget  to  tell  you, 
that  after  a  bargain  was  concluded,  the  ceremony 
of  licking  was  never  omitted,  even  a  razor  was' 
drawn  over  the  tongue,  as  unconcernedly  as  if  it 
Imd  been  made  of  ivory ;  I  cannot  describe  to  you 
the  confusion  and  din  of  this  scene  of  barter ;  all 
so  eager  to  sell,  that  many  went  away  bereft  of  al- 
most all  their  clothes  ;  in  exchange  for  a  nail,  I 
got  a  spear  with  an  ivory  head,  and  a  line  and 
bladder  attached  to  it,  in  fact  iron  in  their  eyes  is 
of  the  same  value  as  gold  in  ours. 

**  We  soon  found  that  our  new  friends  delighted 
in  dancing,  and  a  fiddler  was  despatched  to  the  ice 
to  play  for  them  ;  jumping  and  stamping  with  all 
their  might,  was  the  only  figure  they  attempted, 
and  the  fiddler,  who  was  a  merry  fellow,  soon 
oaught  the  infection,  and  it  was  not  long  before 
the  wliole  floe  of  ice  was  covered  with  officers, 
Bsquimaux,  sailots,  and  all  jumping  away  The 
women  savages  were  amazingly  pleased  with  a 
rosy  young  sailor,  and  patted  his  face,  and  danced 
round  him  wherever  he  went.  A  great  joke  among 
these  queer  people  was,  to  come  and  give  a  shout 


144 


NORTHERN  REGIONS, 


K 


in  one  of  your  ears,  and  at  the  same  moment,  a 
good  box  on  the  other,  which  made  the  person  so 
assailed  look  wondrous  silly,  to  the  great  amuse- 
ment of  all  about.  There  was  no  end  to  the  ft- 
musement  these  people  afforded  us,  united  with 
the  boisterous  mirth  of  our  own  crews. 

'*  When  all  parties  were  thoroughly  tired,  and 
my  fellow  messmates  gone  to  bed,  I  took  a  turn 
round,  to  look  at  the  various  groups  of  our  new 
friends,  who  were  eating  their  suppers  in  their 
boats  ;  lumps  of  raw  flesh  of  seals,  fat  birds,  and 
entrails,  formed  the  delicious  meal,  and  a  young 
girl,  whom  we  had  styled  the  belle  of  the  party, 
was  biting  the  inside  of  a  seal  into  pieces,  and 
distributing  it  to  her  neighbours  in  the  boat. 

'*  Our  shipsjeceived  various  other  visits  from 
the  savages,  whilst  they  remamed  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood ;  but  I  do  not  remember  many  other 
striking  peculiarities,  except,  indeed,  one  which 
shocked  me  much.  I  think  I  told  you,  that  you 
might  have  any  thing  for  a  knife ;  what  do  you 
think  of  a  woman  offering  me  lier  child,  a  little 
girl  of  four  years  of  age,  in  exchange  for  a  knife 
which  1  was  bartering  ?  This  melancholy  fact, 
shows  us  how  dangerous  any  uncontrolled  passion 
is,  when  those  untutored  beings,  at  other  times  so 
fond  of  their  children,  would  be  ready,  for  the 
love  of  gain,  to  part  with  them  to  strangers. 

^*  In  passing  Nottingham  islands  shortly  after,  we 
had  still  a  more  picturcscjue  party  to  visit  us.  There 
was  only  one  boat  full,  and  it  was  commanded  by 
a  fat  old  woman,  and  among  her  noisy  crew  lay,  at 
the  bottom  of  her  boat,  an  infant,  in  sound  slum* 
her;  great  pains  indeed  had  been  taken  to  make 
it  comfortable ;  its  two  legs  being  crammed   into 


i.V. 


^       NORTH r:ii.N  ki:gions. 


145 


u  boot,  and  its  mouth  was  iiilcd  with  a  larp^c  lump 
of  whales'  blubhor,  which  every  now  and  then  it 
gave  a  suck  at,  in  its  sleep,  which  was  uniiroken  in 
spite  of  many  a  thump  and  kick.  The  young  girls 
ia  the  boat  gave  all  they  received  to  the  old  lady 
coxswain,  who  deposited  them  in  her  usual  pocket, 
the  mouth  ;  buttons,  nails,  needles,  pins,  and  beads, 
all  found  their  way  there,  and  as  she  never  stopped 
talking,  they  soon  found  their  way  out,  a  girl  being 
stationed  beside  her  to  pick  up  the  stray  articles. 

"  Our  object  now  was  to  leave  the  usual  track  of 
Hudson's  Bay,  and  steering  north-west,  we  soon 
entered  something  resembling  a  deep  broad  strait, 
to  the  north  of  Southampton  Island,  and  bounded 
on  the  north  by  islands.  Here  we  were  again  be- 
set and  thumped  pretty  severely  by  the  ice,  and 
a<»ain  in  a  few  hours  an  oj)on  sea  aj)pearcd,  in  the 
midst  of  which,  unicorns  played  around  us.'  A 
shoal  of  these  beautiful  fish  with  their  long  horns 
and  their  ^ssy  backs,  spotted  like  coach  dogs,  is 
astrikino"  sight.  In  vain  did  1  attempt  to  kill  one; 
but  1  ascertained  its  size  to  be  twenty  feet  long,  in- 
cludifig  its  horn,  whicli  is  five  or  six. 

"  Was  not  this  a  strange  worhJ  we  were  livii||^ 
in  f  human  beings  dressed  in  skins,  and  looking 
like  animals,  walking  Uj)  to  our  ships  across  the 
ice;  bears  prowling  about  as  if  not  expecting  to 
meet  with  disturbance ;  and  hundreds  of  white 
whales  close  beside  us  under  the  rocks  ! 

**  On  the  17th  of  August  we  anchored  in  a  large 
and  lovely  bay,  off  a  low  shingle  beach.  The 
country  beyond  was  rich  in  arctic  vegetatioii ;  such 
as  mosses,  grasses,  poppies,  and  ground  willow ; 
and  our  sportsmen  shot  birds  of  various  and  beati- 
tiful  kinds. 

-..  *, .      .  =;  13 


m 


m 


'■r\; 


i46 


#; 


NORTUEUN   REGIONS. 


i?;ttinH 


**  The  remains  of  Esquimaux  huts,  in  the  form 
of  lime-kihis,  were  seen  ;  and  a  curious  building 
made  of  the  two  jaw  bones  of  a  whale  set  upright, 
and  covered  with  whalebone,  to  which  our  sailors 
helped  themselves  plentifully,  to  make  brooms  for 
their  ships,  leaving  a  boarding-pike  in  exchange, 
to  be  found  by  the  invisible  owners,  whenever  they 
should  arrive  there. 

"  We  had  now  ascertained  that  we  were  in  the 
Frozen  Strait,  discovered  by  Middleton ;  and,  after 
some  days  sailing,  we  passed  an  opening  to  the 
south  called  Sir  Thomas  Koe's  Welcome,  and  ran 
into  Repulse  Bay.  Here  we  went  on  shore,  and 
found  various  traces  of  the  Esquimaux;  for  these  cu- 
rious people  move  from  place  to  place  just  as  it  suits 
their  convenience  for  seal  hunting ;  and  to  raise  a 
town,  with  them,  is  hardly  the  work  of  more  hours 
than  it  is  of  years  with  us.  Circles  of  stones  with 
which  they  fasten  down  their  skin  tents,  ]ju*oken  ar- 
rows, knives' made  of  wood,  ivory,  and  slate,  mo- 
dels of  canoes,  and  a  variety  of  other  articles,  show- 
ed that  the  Esquimaux  had  not  deserted  the  es- 
tablishment very  long. 

**  While  most  of  our  people  went  shooting  on 
the  shore,  pleased  at  taking  the  first  walk  in  North 
America,  I  was  busied  in  searching  for  natural  cu- 
riosities, and  I  soon  found  a  complete  skeleton  of  a 
whale;  it  was  lying  on  a  little  nook  in  the  steep  side  of 
a  hill,  and  being  much  too  heavy  for  the  savages  to 
have  conveyed,  I  was  puzzled  enough  to  know  how- 
it  could  get  there.  I  found,  likewise,  two  tailless 
mice,  who  were  such  voracious  little  things,  that 
they  not  only  devoured  bread,  cheese,  meat,  and 
grass,  but,  in  a  few  hours,  when  1  looked  into  the 
bouse  into  which  I  had  put  them,  one  of  them  had 
half  eaten  the  other  up. 


NOlTllimN  REGIONS. 


141 


**  We  were  now  satisfied  that  we  were  really  on 
the  coast  of  America,  and  therefore  we  continued 
coasting  Repulse  Bay,  but  were  so  constantly  de- 
layed by  the  ice,  that  our  prog'ress  was  little.  We 
passed  Gore  Bay,  and  came  to  the  entrance  of  a 
small  inlet,  which  Captain  Parry,  with  two  boats 
provisioned  for  a  week,  left  us  to  explore.  He 
soon  met  with  some  natives,  three  of  whom  ran 
by  the  side  of  the  water  till  the  boats  landed. — 
When  Captain  Parry  went  up  to  them,  their  salu- 
tation was  truly  ludicrous  ;  for,  with  the  greatest 
gravity  they  stroked  their  breasts  in  silence.  They 
led  them  to  tents,  which  were  all  unfurnished,  but 
where  they  found  women  and  children,  and  the  ap- 
pearance of  all  were  more  prepossessing  than  any 
that  had  been  met  with;  the  absence  of  the  smell 
of  train  oil  was  a^  great  improvement ;  these  peo- 
ple subsisting  chiefly  on  deer,  instead  of  seals. — 
Some  presents  of  course  were  made  to  these  peo- 
ple, but  nothing  charmed  them  so  much  as  an 
empty  tin  canister,  which  they  hugged  and  kissed 
in  rapture.  These  sober  people  contrived,  how- 
ever, to  steal  a  pewter  jug,  and  two  spoons,  before 
the  visit  was  over,  but  the  thief  was  soon  discover- 
ed. I  am  sorry  to  say  she  was  a  lady,  and  nowise 
ashamed  at  being  found  out,  for  she  laughed  im- 
moderately. She  had  on  a  pair  of  immense  boots, 
one  of  which  she  pulled  off  and  sold  willingly 
enough,  but  nothing  could  induce  her  to  part  from 
the  other ;  this  led  to  a  suspicion,  and  the  things 
missing  were  at  last  discovered,  concealed  in  this 
said  boot* 

"  Captain  Parry  returned  to  the  ships,  without 
finding  any  outlet,  and  after  naming  this  inlet '  Ly- 
on Inlet,'  we  attempted  to  move  out  of  it ;  but  the 
ico  still  beset  us  with  innumerable  floes,  and  we 


m 


148 


XOILTIIERN  REGIONS. 


■  i;':l 


'!'  • 


m 


were  forced  to  anchor  in  a  snug  birth  which  wc 
named  '  Safety  Cove.' 

"  We  went  ashore  to  walk  twice  every  day,  in 
order  to  observe  the  state  of  the  ice,  and  in,  one 
of  my  walks  I  was  much  amused  with  watching  an 
ermine  hunt  a  mouse  by  its  tracks,  just  as  abound 
does  a  fox.  In  Icokina^  for  this  beautiful  little  crea- 
ture  among  the  snow  after  he  was  killed,  I  actu- 
ally trod  upon  him,  so  pure  a  white  was  his  body, 
and  his  blac   tail  being  hid  under  the  snow. 

"  After  waiting  for  many  a  day  it  was  decided 
that  as  no  more  summer  would  appear  this  year, 
\ye  must  pass  the  winter  in  this  spot,  and  therefore 
every  preparation  was  made,  similar  to  what  had 
been  done  before,  both  for  the  safety  of  the  ships, 
and  the  comfor|  of  the  men.  Before  we  left  Eng- 
land, a  large  subscription  had  been  raised  for 
purchasing  theatrical  clothing,  and  play-bills  were 
soon  made  out,  every  officer  cheerfully  putting  his 
name  down,  and  those  who  were  fixed  upon  to 
perform  the  parts  of  ladies,  generously  cutofFthe 
beard  and  whiskers  they  had  saved  to  protect 
them  from  the  cold ;  our  theatre  was  large,  our 
dresses  were  good,  and  we  began  with  the  play 
of  the  "  Rivals,"  which  was  performed  with  bril- 
liant success  and  unbounded  applause. 

"  We  had  little  aniusesncnt  now,  but  what  the 
few  animals  we  could  find  afforded  us;  of  these, 
foxes  were  the  most  numerous  ;  n^nny  had  been 
caught,  some  killed  and  some  kept  by  the  ships 
as  pets.  The  Arctic  fox  is  smaller  than  those  in 
England,  and  being  covered  with  white  woolly 
hair,  resembles  a  shock  dog  ;  its  eyes  are  bright, 
and  its  look  cunning,  and  it  is  impossible  to  ajv- 
proach  it  unawares,  for  it  wakes  in  a  moment  from 
the  soundest  sleep.  These  suspicions  little  fellows 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


149 


the 
esc  J 
icen 
hips 
ISO  in 
jolly 
ght, 

aj>- 
rom 
ows 


never  enjoy  iheir  food,  unless  they  can  first  hide  it, 
which  they  generally  do  by  heaping  snow  over  it, 
pressed  down  with  their  nose ;  mine,  vibich  I  kept 
up,  and  delighted  to  watch,  I  frequently  observed 
to  coil  his  chain  round  and  round  the  meat,  when 
there  was  no  snow  within  reach  ;  ar»das  the  chain 
of  course  unrolled  itself,  every  time  he  left  the 
spot,  he  would  patiently  coil  it  over  and  over  again, 
till  at  last  he  was  forced  to  eat  his  meat,  without 
having  been  able  to  hide  it  first. 

"  Our  first  Christmas  day  was  a  most  cheery 
one ;  after  divine  service  on  board  the  Fury,  we 
had  good  roast  beef  dinners,  with  cranberry  pies 
and  puddings  of  every  shape,  with  a  full  allowance 
of  spirits,  and  our  crew,  not  very  sober,  forced  ev- 
ery officer  to  go  in  turn  out  upon  the  lower  deck, 
and  have  his  health  drank  in  three  cheers.  The 
next  day  we  had  a  famous  ball,  and  a  merry  fellow 
personated  an  old  cake  woman,  with  lumps  of  fro- 
zen snow  in  a  bucket,  and  his  cakes  were  in  such 
request,  that  he  was  obliged  often  to  supply  his 
bucket ;  our  mirth,  however,  was  stopped,  by  a  re- 
port of  a  bear  being  seen  on  the  ice  between  the 
ships,  and  arms  were  prepared,  but  old  bruin  ap- 
peared not. 

"  The  new  year,  1822,  was  now  ushered  in,  and 
found  us  all  in  good  health,  and  in  excellent  spirits  ; 
nothing  1' ad  contributed  more  to  this  last  circum- 
stance than  the  school  in  which  the  men  had  taught 
and  been  taught ;  there  was  not  a  man  now  on 
board,  who  could  not  read  and  write^  and,  on 
Christmas  day,  sixteen  copies  were  sent  to  our 
Captain,  written  by  men  who,  two  months  before, 
had  scarcely  known  their  letters.  There  was 
somethinff  vcrv  picafcing  in  the  interest  our  honest 

13* 


(J 


-  ■■■  •: 


t\  ;,,.:■ 


<.''} 


loO 


XOaTIli:ilX  llEGIONS. 


tars  took  in  learning,  and  these  copies  were  sent 
up  with  the  pride  of  a  good  little  school-boy,  ra- 
ther than  of  a  stout  and  able  sailor. 

"  You  will  remember  that  I  described  to  you 
in  may  last  history  the  effect  of  the  sun's  total  ab- 
sence from  the  earth  ;  that  it  was  far  from  gloomy. 
We  were  in  a  very  diiferent  latitude  here ;  we  never 
entirely  lost  the  sun,  although  it  shone  with  dimin- 
ished brightness,  which  would  have  been  rather 
painful  to  the  eyes,  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  bluish 
colour  which  always  accompanies  the  light  of  the 
sun  in  frosty  weather.  The  nights  were  very  beau- 
tiful, the  moon  and  stars  shining  most  brilliantly  in 
the  clear  sky  ;  the  aurora  borealis  delighted  me 
more  than  ever  ;  its  first  appearance  resembles  a 
shower  of  fallen  stars,  such  as  a  rocket  emits,  which 
come  trickling*  down  the  sky :  the  sudden  light 
bursting  upon  one,  makes  one  fancy  one  hears  ii 
noise,  but  after  much  observation,  I  am    still  in- 
clined to  think  it  merely  fancy.  One  dark  and  calm 
night,  I  stood  upon  the  ice  till  midnight,  watching 
this  beautiful  phenomenon  ;  it  began  in  an  arch, 
which  spread  finm  east  to  west :  it  lasted  a  quarter 
of  an  hour,  when  a  storm  arising,  the  arch  became 
agitated,  then  shut  forth  into  rays  and  streamers, 
and  spread  over  al!  the  heavens,  flying  with  the 
rapidity  of  lightning,  and  giving  an  air  of  magic  to 
the  whole  scene.     No  wonder  the  poor  untutored 
Indians  imagine  the  spirits  of  their  fathers  are 
riding  in  the  storm. 

"  For  two  or  three  days,  about  this  time,  the 
tracks  of  a  little  animal  had  been  seen  about  the 
ship,  and  at  last  he  jumped  from  under  a  heap  of 
sails.  None  could  agree  about  its  colour,  which 
the  greater  part  however  thought  was  brown,  when 
lo,  and  behold,  it  was  canght  in  a  trap,  and  proved 


si 


/>///»• 


J.in 


3i*c  sent 
boy,  ra- 

I  to  you 
:otal  ab- 
gloomy. 
ve  never 
h  dimin- 
1  rather 
le  bluish 
ht  of  the 
5ry  beau- 
liantly  in 
hted  me 
einbles  a 
ts,  which 
den  light 
hears  fi 
still  in- 
nd  calm 
^vatching 
|an  arch, 
quarter 
became 
I'eamers, 
^ith  the 
Iraagic  to 
itutored 
lers  arc 

ime,  the 

Ibout  the 

heap  of 

,  which 

n,  when 

Id  proved 


^'V- ,  A  wr-f""--' 


* 


to 


I 


# 


fiel 

w\\ 
cri 
in: 


n 


atti 


4 


I 


NORTHERS  REGIONS. 


loJ 


to  be  a  white  and  most  beautiful  criuiiic.  Ah  ! 
Lousia,  if  I  had  done  as  I  wished  and  brou<rhtit  to 
you,  how  you  would  hove  petted  it !  But  il  was  a 
fierce  little  fellow,  and  as  soon  as  daylight  was  al- 
lowed him  in  his  new  house,  he  shook  the  bar« 
with  the  greatest  fury,  uttering  most  passionate 
cries.  We  could  scarcely  by  threats  or  teazing 
make  him  go  into  his  sleeping  den,  and  when  he 
did  so  the  slightest  noise  would  bring  him  back  to 
attack  his  tyrants.  He  soon  began  to  take  food 
from  my  hand,  but  not  till  he  had  tried  all  he 
could  to  reach  and  bite  my  fingers.  Poor  fellow  ! 
he  was  killed  by  an  accident  not  many  days  after 
we  caught  him. 

**  You,  Tom,  who  have  studied  natural  history, 
have  heard  it  mentioned  as  a  fact,  that  bears  sleep 
during  the  wniter  mouths  ;  well  1  must  tell  you, 
that  I  doubt  the  fact ;  at  any  rate,  as  relating  to 
the  Arctic  female  bear  we  had  already  seen  two 
since  the  cold  had  set  in.  The  ship's  carpenter 
met  one  to-day  who  was  coming  up  to  him,  but 
he  prudently  retreated.  They  probably  feed  upon 
seals  in  winter  as  well  as  summer,  and  these  come 
almost  daily  from  the  sea. 

**  Doubtless  they,  as  well  as  all  other  living  be- 
ings in  this  pitiless  region,  sufter  great  hardships 
durin«f  the  winter  :  we  found  in  a  fox's  stomach  a 
huge  heap  of  rope  yarn  and  line,  among  which 
was  a  piece  of  stuff  six  inches  long  !  This  proves 
that  they  are  oflen  in  a  state  of  famine,  and  that 
like  the  human  race,  on  such  occasions,  they  care 
little  with  what  they  satisfy  the  cravings  of  their 
appetite." 


\ry2 


NORTUERN  REGIONS. 


CHAPTER  II. 


"  NoTWiTiiSTANDiNQ  all  our  excrtions  to  pass 
the  weary  winter  days  cheerfully,  we  were  begm- 
ning  to  feel  a  flatness  in  the  scene,  when,  on  the 
first  of  February,  the  cry  of*  Esquimaux,  Esqui- 
maux,' announced  the  approach  of  a  large  troop 
of  these  amusing  people  coming  over  the  ice  from 
the  west. 

**  A  party  of  six  went  from  the  ships  to  meet 
the  welcome  strangers,  and  we  walked  behind  one 
another  for  fear  of  terrifying  them.  As  we  got  up 
to  them  they  halted,  formed  a  line  and  silently 
stroked  their  breasts,  and  of  course  we  did  the 
same.  We  made  them  some  presents,  which  they 
received  only  with  a  vacant  stare  but  we  presently 
found  that  they  understood  barter  as  well  as  their 
countrymen,  and  when  we  began  to  purchase  their 
skins  and  whalebone,  they  soon  got  free  and  easy 
with  us. 

"  An  invitation  to  their  huts  was  gladly  accepted 
by  us  ;  we  came  to  them  after  a  walk  of  two  miles, 
and  found  them  situated  upon  a  shelving  beach 
within  so  full  a  view  of  the  ships,  that  we  must 
have  seen  them  if  they  had  been  there  the  day 
before. 

"  We  approached  the  first  dwelling,  where  six 
families  silently  awaited  us,  the  women  and  chil- 
dren being  seated  with  their  legs  doubled  under 
them  behind  the  men.  A  very  few  presents  made 
us  received  in  a  friendly  manner  by  the  ladies,  as 
we  visited  each  hut  j  and  guess  our  astonishment, 
as  we  crept  through  the  long  low  passages  of  snow. 


NOriTHEUr?  REGIONS. 


153 


tu  find  ourselves  in  dome-shaped  buildings,  built 
entirely  of  snow,  and  illuminated  by  lamps  which 
spread  a  brilliant  and  many-eolourcd  light  through 
the  transparent  walls.  The  natives  were  all  irJ 
their  best  dresses  of  dark  coloured  deer-skin., 
which  formed  a  striking  contrast  to  their  white  ha- 
bitations. Wcuoon  became  most  excellent  friends-, 
and  after  promising  to  spend  the  next  day  with  them 
we  returned  to  the  ships,  accompanied  by  a  merry 
group  of  these  people,  to  whom  we  sang  songs  and 
chorusses  as  we  walked  along.  These  delighted 
them  much,  particularly  wh«n  they  cmled  in  *toi 
de  riddle  loll,'  which  made  them  always  scream 
and  jump  for  pleasure.  A  dance  now  and  then 
varied  our  amusements  till  we  got  to  the  ships. 

**  They  walked  very  soberly  about  deck  for  a 
short  time,  contented  with  giving  a  scream  when 
they  saw  any  thing  that  pleased  them,  but  order  did 
not  long  remain,  for  our  seamen  set  them  the  exam- 
ple of  frolic,  which  they  were  ready  enough  to  fol- 
low. Every  leg  was  set  in  motion  by  the  help  of  a 
drum  and  a  fiddler.  Some  old  women  sang,  while 
others  danced  in  groups  about  them ;  the  scene 
was  very  diverting.  Our  seamen  soon  discovered 
that  an  Esquimaux  could  *  do  any  thing,'  and  there- 
fore insisted  upon  their  chewing  tobacco  :  but  Cap- 
tain Lyon  would  not  let  them  practise  this  cruel 
joke,  when  he  iound  that  they  were  indeed  swallow- 
ing handfulls  of  it.  There  was  some  difficulty  in 
regaling  our  new  acquaintances  with  food  agreeable 
to  them,  but  at  last  we  cooked  up  a  mixture  of 
bread-dust  and  train-oil,  and  handed  it  on  a  tin 
pot  to  every  hungr}'  person,  who  licked  it  up  with 
the  end  of  his  tongue. 

**  I  singled  out  an  old  man  who  appeared  morp 
intelligent  than  the  rest ;  he  seemed  to  have  an  ear 
ibr  music,  for  he  listened  witbraptare  to  a  hand' 


ll 


154 


SORTHKI.N  REGIONS. 


.!( 


m 


organ  and  a  musical  >nuff-box.  This  old  nian'ij 
right  name  was  *  Bladder/  but,  as  he  carried  a 
brass  kettle  which  had  been  given  to  him,  he  was 
called  by  our  sailors  *  Kettle.' 

"  And  now,  Charles,  are  you  tired  of  these  sa- 
vages, or  should  you  like  to  accompany  me  in  my 
next  visit  to  them  ?" 

*'  Oh,  uncle,  pray  let  me  hear  a  great  deal  about 
them ;  I  am  quite  amused  with  their  old  habits, 
and  I  expect  even  to  like  them,  for  I  have  not 
heard  a  word  of  their  stealing  or  begging  as  yet," 
cried  Charles. 

**  I  can  Lisureyou,  Charles,  you  feel  as  I  did;  I 
was  quite  impatient  till  the  next  day's  visit,  for  1 
took  it  into  my  head  we  should  discover  more 
character  and  ingenuity  among  these  savages  than 
we  had  anticipated,  and  we  V>egan  our  acquaintance 
Under  favourable  circumstances,  since,  as  you  ob- 
served, neither  begging  nor  stealing  has  at  yet  ta- 
ken place. 

*'  When  we  went  to  the  huts  the  next  day,  all 
the  men  were  ranged  in  a  line  to  receive  us,  and 
after  stroking  their  breasts,  retired  to  their  huts 
to  welcome  us  there,  which  they  did  quickly  and 
respectfully. 

**  A  day's  smoke  had  greatly  diminished  the 
transparency  of  the  inside  of  the  huts,  though  they 
were  still  very  light ;  and  now  you  may  look  at  my 
little  drawing,  with  these  various  clusters  of  huts, 
some  with  two  and  some  with  three  domes.  Thir- 
teen families  lived  in  this  little  village,  each  family 
in  a  separate  dome.  I  entered  one  of  the  largest 
huts  by  a  passage  about  a  yard  across,  and  high 
enough  for  one  to  enter  by  stooping  a  little.  It  was 
very  long,  but  led  into  a  shorter  one  which  opened 
through  a  hole  in  the  dome ;  this  was  about  seven 
foct  high  and  the  same  across,  and  led  into  three 


/Uye 


i 

%%,. 

■A 

:      '   1 

■ 

1  j 

1 

' 

'%: 

yj/y,' 


/^/.9 


•  * 


M 


! 


If. 


'•    'I 


k. 


m 


U  i 


-^ 


\\ 


'^^i 


::iORTnERN  regions. 


155 


,-  bcd-roofeJ  buildings.  The  arches  were  laid  in 
t/  -  circhitectural  order,  and  the  slabs  were  cut 
out  of  blocks  of  snow  about  two  feet  long  and  four  or 
six  inches  thick.  A  seat  was  raised  on  one  side, 
which  was  used  as  the  bed-place  of  the  family,  and 
this  was  covered  first  with  whalebone  and  sprigs 
of  andromeda,  then  with  a  warm  covering  of  deer- 
skin clothes,  and  a  substitute  for  blankets  formed 
of  deer-pelts,  which  had  fringes  of  leather  sewed 
round  the  edges  by  way  of  ornament,  and  which 
covered  the  whole. 

"  You  must  not  imagine  that  the  hut  I  have  in- 
troduced you  to  was  without  windows  ;  a 
broad  piece  of  transparent  fresh-water  ice,  form- 
ing part  of  the  roof  and  placed  over  the  door, 
lighted  each  dome,  and  gave  a  pleasing  light, 
tree  from  glare,  similar  to  what  is  thrown  from 
ground  glass.  What  think  you  of  this  snow  habi- 
tation, which  was  completed,  as  they  told  me,  by 
two  men  in  a  couple  of  hours,  one  man  cutting 
the  slabs,  the  other  laying  them  .^" 

Tom.  "  I  think,  uncle,  that  they  are  amazingly 
ingenious  to  make  any  kind  of  house  out  of  snow; 
and,  how  they  can  be  warm  or  durable,  it  rather 
puzzles  me  to  imagine. 

"  The  snow,  you  must  remember,  is  frozen  very 
hard,  and  is  thick  and  almost  as  solid  as  stone  ; 
there  is  no  sun  to  thaw  them,  for,  of  course,  they 
vanish  when  the  summer  re-appears.  The  furni- 
ture of  the  inside  I  am  now  going  to  describe  to  you ; 
I  cannot  say  it  would  suit  our  notions  of  comfort. 

"  The  first  thing  that  struck  me  on  entering  the 
hut,  was  a  frame  or  kind  of  table  made  of  old  fish- 
ing spears ;  this  supported  a  long  wooden  hoop,  a- 
cross  which  a  net  was  spread,  to  hang  wet  clothes 
or  skins  on,  to  be  dried  by  the  lamp ;  on  this  frame 


156 


NOUTUERN   REGIONS. 


m 


u 


the  master  always  puts  his  gloves  when  he  comes 
in,  first  carefully  scraping  off  the  snow. 

**  Suspended  from  these  frames  hung  a  stono 
Toffin-shaped  pot,  and  beneath  this  was  a  stone 
lamp,  the  most  important  part  of  the  furniture,  as 
it  afforded  both  ii^ht  and  heat  to  the  interior  of 
the  dome.  The  middle  of  the  lamp  is  filled  with 
fat ;  round  the  edge  is  ranged  the  oil  and  wicl<8: 
these  latter  are  made  of  moss,  trimmed  by  as- 
bestos, stone  or  wood.  A  bunch  of  moss  hangs  a- 
gainstthe  wall  to  supply  the  lamp;  the  lamp  was 
propped  up  by  pieces  of  horn  and  wood,  just  high 
enough  from  the  ground  to  have  under  it  a  whale- 
bone pot  to  catch  the  oil  that  dropped  from  it. 

**  I  must  remind  you,  however,  that  I  am  now 
describing  a  large-sized  dome,  and  that  many 
which  I  afterwards  went  in  had  none  of  this  grand 
frame,  their  pots  being  suspended  from  a  bone 
fixed  in  the  wall.  1  was  much  amused  by  going 
into  one  where  the  man  fitidtwo  wives:  the  senior 
wife,  who  was  a  tall  I'at  lady,  had  a  large  lamp  at 
one  end  of  the  dome,  and  a  large  pot  which  held  a 
gallon ;  while  the  y^iiniger  wife,  who  was  a  little 
round  body,  had  a  tiny  lamp  and  a  pot,  which 
only  held  a  pint.  Captain  Parry  had  a  mind  to 
buy  one  of  these  lamps  at  the  time  it  was  burning; 
and  you  will  have  some  slight  notion  ofthemVe^j^ 
of  our  new  friends,  as  to  what  they  eat,  when  I 
tell  3^ou,  that  the  woman  lo  clean  it  scraped  with 
her  fingers  the  soot  and  oil  with  which  it  w^as 
covered,  and  put  them  into  her  mouth.  She  then 

d  ed  the  lamp  quite  clean  with  her  tongue,  and 
•d-humouredly  joined  in  the  laugh  we  all  rais- 
K.  \  at  the  sight  of  her  sooty  face. 

*'    .  large  wooden  tray  resembling  a  butcher's 
fray  is  used  in  every  hut,  as  v;ell  as  a  variety  of 


m^' 


e  comes 

a  stone 
a  stone 
iture,  as 
terior  of 
ed  with 
1  wicks: 
by  as- 
hanga  a- 
impwas 
ust  high 
a  whale- 
HTl  it. 
am  now 
it  many 
is  grand 
1   a  bone 
>y  going 
ic  senior 
lamp  at 
1  held  a 
a  little 
,  >vhich 
nind  to 
urning; 
e  nicety 
.vhen  I 
d  with 
it  was 
le  then 
e,  and 
11  rais- 

tcher's 
^icty  of 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


157 


different  sized  vessels  made  of  whalcbonr-  wood, 
and  skin. 

*'  In  this  and  many  succeeding  visits  to  the  huts, 
I  formed  a  very  favourable  opinion  of  the  children, 
whose  modest  and  gentle  manners  might  shame 
many  a  wellrhred  but  spoiled  child  in  England ; 
and,  though  my  nephews  and  nieces,  I  trust,  are  ex- 
ceptions, I  silently  determined  that  when  I  return- 
ed home  I  would  tell  them  many  a  story  of  the 
pleasing  and  orderly  conduct  of  these  young  sava- 
ges. It  was  not  their  outward  appearance  which 
prepossessed  me,  for  in  their  large  dresses,  and 
smothered  with  dirt,  when  their  faces  were  hidden, 
they  resembled  puppy  dogs,  or  young  wolves,  or 
bears  ;  but  these  faces  were  rosy,  fat,  and  good- 
humoured — the  picture  of  health,  with  jetty  loclis 
and  sparkling  black  eyes%" 

Charles.  Oh,  uncle,  I  wish  you  had  accepted 
of  the  woman's  offer  in  exchange  for  your  knife  ; 
and  I  should  have  delighted  to  have  imitated  the 
modest  manners  of  your  little  savage. 

"  You  are  inclined  to  be  sancy,  I  see,  Charles, 
answered  the  good-humoured  uncle — but  I  must 
proceed  with  my  atory.  The  hut  I  was  visiting  was 
Kettle's,  whose  wife,  Oomgna,  received  me  most 
politely,  and  presented  me  with  a  piece  of  rein-deer 
fat^  which  of  course  I  ate.  In  return  for  her  civiHty 
I  presented  her  with  a  looking-glass  and  some  few 
trinkets,  which  delighted  her  much,  as,  excepting  a 
small  bracelet  of  beads,  the  women  have  no  orna- 
ments except  the  kak-keen  or  tattoo,  with  whi'^h 
the  body  is  covered.  Now  I  will  describe  to  you 
this  kak-keen,  for,  being  as  anxious  as  Tom  to 
know  the  bottom  of  every  thing,  I  put  myself  into 
the  hands  of  Mrs.  Kettle,  whom  I  adopted  for  my 


Ti   .1**  fell  I 


im 


& 


ii<  I 


['■  "In 


ti 


158 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


*  Amana,'  or  mother,  and  begged  that  she  would 
tottoo  a  pattern  upon  my  arm. 

"  Accordingly  she  got  a  fine  needle,  and  with 
her  teeth  tore  a  thread  off  a  deer's  sinew  :  this  was 
the  sewing  apparatus.  She  next  put  her  fingers  to 
the  bottom  of  the  stone  pot,  not  to  make  her  hands 
blacker,  that  was  impossible,  but  to  collect  some 
soot,  which,  with  a  little  oil  and  a  good  deal  of  sali- 
va, she  made  into  a  mixture;  then  taking  a  piece  of 
whalebone  well  blackened,  she  drew  upon  my  arm 
a  variety  of  figures.  What  the  figures  werelcan^ 
not  say,  but  her  companions  were  called  upon  to 
look,  and  they  all  enjoyed  a  good  laugh  over  them. 
She  began  her  job:  after  blackening  her  thread 
with  soot,  by  taking  a  pretty  deep  stitch  in  my  arm, 
putting  her  thumb  on  the  place  as  she  drew  the 
thread  through,  and  beginning  one  stitch  where  she 
left  off  the  other.  3Iy  flesh  was  tough,  and  she 
broke  a  needle  and  got  on  slowly,  and  after  some 
dozen  or  two  of  stitches,  my  curiosity  was  satisfied, 
and  I  begged  her  to  give  over.  Her  operations 
were  finished  by  rubbing  the  part  with  oil  to  stop 
the  blood.  The  inflanimation  and  pain  which  fol- 
lowed this  ornamenting  of  my  arm,  was  not  very 
trifling,  and  therefore  the  Esquimaux  ladies  may  be 
said  to  pay  dear  ibr  their  ornaments^  which  look 
like  light  blue  lines  upon  their  skin.  With  this  pain- 
ful ornament  their  whole  bodies  are  covered  over. 

"  We  found  our  new  acquaintance  in  every  hut 
good-humoured  and  merry;  and  their  perfect  hon- 
esty delighted  us  ;  they  would  not  even  call  a  bead 
their  own  till  they  had  asked  permission  to  do  so. 
I  was  determined,  in  fact,  to  put  their  honesty  to 
the  proof,  and  I  left  behind  me  in  Kettle's  hut  all 
the  valuables  I  had  brought  with  me  either  for  bar- 
ter or  for  presents ;  knives,  scissors,  looking-glasses 


lie  woukl 

md  with 
this  was 
ingers  to 
er hands 
ect  some 
il  of  sali- 
i  piece  of 
my  arm 
sre  I  can'' 
upon  to 
er  them, 
r  thread 
my  arm, 
Irew  the 
^here  she 
and  she 
ter  some 
satisfied, 
)erations 
il  to  stop 
diich  fol- 
not  very 
s  may  be 
lich  look 
his  pain- 
ed over, 
very  hut 
'ect  hon- 
11  a  bead 
to  do  so. 
nesty  to 
s  hut  all 
for  bar- 
•-glasses 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


1.59 


and  all.  I  left  a  number  of  savages  behind  me, 
and  yet  when  I  returned,  not  an  irticle  was  mis- 
sing, they  had  all  been  carefully  covered  up.  Most 
of  them,  indeed,  after  the  merest  trifle  had  been 
given  them,  such  as  a  needle  or  a  button  would 
return  soon  after  to  offer  a  pair  of  mittens  or  a 
skin,  or  something  which  they  thought  would  be 
valuable  in  return. 

**  I  musi  not  forget  the  dogs  which  are  so  im- 
portant a  part  of  an  Esquimaux  establishment; 
while  young  they  are  taken  great  care  of,  and  we 
I  saw,  during  our  visit  this  day,  many  litters,  with 
their  mothers  lying  on  the  beds  of  their  masters; 
but  the  full-grown  ones  were  in  a  starving  state, 
as,  in  consequence  of  the  great  eating  powers  of 
their  masters,  there  is  little  food  left  for  them.— - 
Fortunate)v  for  us,  hun^^er  had  a  contrac#^eiFect 
on  them  to  what  it  has  on  dogs  in  general,  and 
these  terrific  animals  were  particularly  gentle  and 
tame.  The  Esquimaux  prevent  them  from  run- 
ning any  great  distance  by  fastening  the  foro-leg 
to  the  neck,  so  that  if  they  attempt  to  run  they  fall. 
This  is  a  very  necessary  precaution,  as  their  ene- 
mies, the  wolves,  are  always  at  hand  to  attack  them. 
*'  And  now,  having  introduced  you  to  the  habita- 
tions of  my  new  friends,  I  shall  describe  to  you 
their  persons,  in  which  I  may  be  assisted,  perhaps, 
by  this  little  drawing  All  notions  of  admiration 
will,  I  am  aware.,  be  destroyed  in  a  moment.  They 
are  a  liUle  race,  most  of  them  being  shorter  than 
the  smallest  man  of  our  acquaintance  in  England  : 
the  men  look  robust,  but  their  bodies  are  slender 
and  their  necks  thin  and  shrivelled  ;  they  are  up- 
right, though  with  their  feet  turned  a  little  inwards, 
and  legs  bowed.  Strange  to  say,  brought  up  as 
they  arc  witlihardy  habits,  and  with  such  extra  or- 


% 


m 


■^l*  '•!; 


,.'-*- 


160 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


'HV 


'  n 


"Mmi 


\-:ym 


IP 


dinary  appetites,  they  were  not  so  strong  as  our 
own  seamen )  whom  we  often  set  to  carry  weights 
which  the  Esquimaux  scarcely  could  lift.     They 
can  wrestle,  hut  they  can  neither  run  nor  jump ; 
nor  do  they  bear  cold  with  the  indifference  I  should 
expect  in  persons  all  their  live&.  accustomed  to  it* 
The  men  are  seldom  fat ;  the  women,  who  lead 
very  sedentary  lives,  are  frequently  much  bloated* 
The  skin  of  both  men  and  women  is  very  smooth, 
from  being  always  oily,  and  when  washed,  is  not 
much  darker  than  that  of  a  Portuguese.     The 
women  and  children  are  often  rosy,  but  the  men 
are  very  sallow.     Their  faces  are  very  peculiar — 
the  shape  varies,  being  sometimes  oval  and  some- 
times round,  with  very  high  cheek  bones,  in  which 
case  the  nose  is  buried  between  them,  so  that  you 
might  put  your  hand  over  both  cheeks  and   not 
touch  the  nose.     Some  of  them  had  high  Roman 
noses,  but  the  eye  was  the  same  in  every  one — the 
inner  corner  turns  down,  as  in  the  Chinese,  and 
they  are  small  and  black,  expressive  w^hen  anima- 
ted, and  very  beautiful  in  children,  as  I  have  be- 
fore remarked.    What  gives  them  an  odd  look  is, 
that  the  skin  between  the  eyes  is  drawn  quite  tight 
like  a  drum.  A  crow's  foot  in  the  corner  of  the  eye, 
which  with  us  denotes  old  age,  is  seen  even  in 
children,  and  old  people  are  covered  with  wrin- 
kles most  abundantly,    from   their   forehead  all 
down  their  faces.  The  mouth  is  kept  open  with  a 
kind  of  idiotic  stare,  and  is  large,  but  not  ug^y  ; 
their  teeth  are  like  round  ivory  pegs,  very  flat  at 
the  end ;  and  their  chins  small  and  pointed,  never 
becoming  what  we  call  a  double  chin.  Their  hair 
is  coal-black,  coarse,  and  straight,  and  tho  men 
have  very  little  beard. 

«*  Thus  much  for  the  general  appearance  of  this 


-.rf 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


161 


^  as  our 
weights 
They 
r  jump; 
I  should 
led  to  it. 
'ho  lead 
bloated, 
smooth » 

d,  is  not 

e.  The 
be  men 
iculiar — 
id  some- 
in  which 
that  you 
and  not 
I  Roman 
ne — the 

le,  and 
anima- 
lave  be- 
look  is, 
ite  tight 
the  eye, 
3ven  in 
h  wrin- 
ead  all 

with  a 
t  ug^y ; 

flat  at 
I,  never 
leir  hair 

\fj  men 

ofthis 


people.  This  was  the  winter  dress  of  my  old  friend 
Kettle — a  deer  skin  outer  coat,  with  a  large  hood. 
This  hood  was  ornamented  with  white  fur  from  the 
thighs  of  the  deer.  The  front  of  this  coat  was  cut 
off  at  the  bottom  of  the  waist,  and  formed  into  a 
skirt  behind,  which  nearly  reached  the  ground.  A 
fringe  of  little  stripes  of  skin  ornamented  the  bottom 
ofthis  skirt.  When  it  was  windy  he  used  to  tie  a 
piece  of  cord  or  skin  round  the  waist  of  his  coat ; 
at  other  times  it  hung  loose.  Within  this  dress  was 
another  of  exactly  the  same  shape,  only  the  inner 
one  was  trimmed  with  beads  instead  of  strips  of 
leather.  This  inner  dress  was  thinner  than  t^e  oth- 
er, and  served  as  a  shirt  and  an  in-door  dress, 
with  the  hairy  part  worn  next  the  body. 

*'  Besides  these  two  coats,  he  had  a  large  doer- 
skin  cut  open,  with  sleeves,  by  way  of  cloak  ;  hut 
lie  seldom  wore  this,  keeping  it  chiefly  for  o,  blan- 
ket. His  deer-skin  trowscrs  had  no  other  tast  '?iiir.o" 
round  the  waist  than  the  string,  which  was  tied 
very  tight,  and  they  were  ornamented  in  the  same 
gay  mamicr  as  his  coat.  Two  pair  are  likewise 
worn  of  these,  and  my  friend's  upper  ones  were 
made  out  of  the  deer's  legs  in  tasty  stripes.  They 
never  make  these  trowsers  io  reach  lower  than 
the  knee-cap  ;  and  thou2;h  they  suffer  dreadfully 
in  cold  weather,  and  are  frequently  frost-bitten  in 
Uiat  part,  yet  they  will  not  add  an  \vh  to  the 
length  of  their  trowscrs. 

*'  His  hoots  reached  up  to  his  trowsers,  which 
just  covered  the  tops.  lie  wore  two  pair,  both 
nuide  of  deer  skin,  one  with  the  hair  next  the  leg, 
the  other  with  the  hair  outside.  Bet^veen  the  boots 
he  had  a  pair  of  slippers,  and  over  all  a  stror.g  seal- 
skin shoe,  reaching  up  to  the  ankle,  and  fastened 
by   a  drawing  string.     In    summer,    when  the 

J4* 


i.*.> 


fi 


WW 


iV  <l 


"T*  "I 


^, 


■Nl 

Hi 

Hil 

1 

^^U'l 

..H 

^^Hm|| 

^;|j|f; 

^B^^B^B  i  li'i    M(*  '; 

■| 

1 

■1 

1 

|H'Hi 

™ 

^  jBl'  Ih 

It 

'■1 

9B'  V 

Mfl 

^Hlml  H      i' 

,  1' ,  '|h 

Hi^f'; 

'    'lire 

i;  1 1 

■'B*i"bB  '■■ 

!; 

jiffii '  1 

ili 

i^R  |il 

11 

By 

f 

M^^B^^V 

II 

1^  i 

MPmHB  \  ' 

|^HJ;iH|iii,!i!^:rf 

Bi 

ii 

It ! 

li 

Ill 

flliii 

if 

HHijil 

i| 

HHIh  M 

Hj' 

wli! 

1 

162 


NORTHERN  REGIONS, 


ground  is  damp,  he  wears  a  pair  of  seal-Bkin 
boots,  prepared  without  the  hair  :  and  so  neatly 
sewed  that  no  water  can  pass  through. 

"  Old  Kettle  bad  mittens  made  of  every  kind 
of  skin,  worn  with  the  hair  inside,  and  when  dry, 
nothing  could  be  more  comfortable  ;  but,  if  once 
these  mittens  arc  frozen  or  wet,  a  case  of  ice 
would  protect  the  hands  just  as  well. 

"  This  was  his  winter  dress  complete.  He  after- 
wards showed  me  that  which  he  wore  in  summer, 
which  was  quite  gay  and  tasty,  being  entirely  made 
of  the  skins  of  ducks,  with  the  feathers  inside.  In- 
deed, it  was  a  %  ?ry  comfortable  light  dress,  and, 
as  he  asfciiund  .vio,  easily  prepared.  You  will  bo 
amused  V\  hear:  that  when  first  we  w'ere  acquaint- 
ed with  t!  e«if^^  EoO'umaux,  the  few  ornaments  they 
had  were  vorn  by  the  men.  L«andeaus  of  differ- 
ent coloured  leather,  platted  in  a  patterr^,  and  of- 
ten with  black  locks  of  hair  woven  in,  so  as  to 
contrast  with  the  white  (eather,  were  worn  round 
the  heads  of  the  men  ;  a  fringe  of  fox's  teeth  hung 
down  from  this  over  the  forehead  ;  and.  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  their  hair,  where  bur  English  fine  la- 
dies would  place  an  ornamented  comb  or  a  pearl 
sprig,  an  Esquimaux  coxcomb  would  stick  a  musk 
ox  tooth,  a  small  ivory  fig- ire,  or  the  bone  of  some 
small  animal. 

"  The  Esquimaux  ladies  of  my  acquaintance 
were  clothed  in  the  same  materials  us  the  men,  al- 
though the  shape  of  every  part  of  the  dress  was  dif- 
ferent. Their  two  jackets  are  much  the  same,  ex- 
cept that  they  have  also  a  short  skirt  in  front  as  well 
as  one  behind ;  and  the  hoods,  which  are  immense, 
serve  the  double  purpose  of  a  covering  to  the  head 
and  a  cradle  for  the  child,  not  only  while  it  is  two 
or  three  months  old,  but  until  it  ha#errived  at  the 
a^e  of  2  or  3  years.  This  hood  is  called  an  amaoota  > 


seal-sklij 
so  neatly 

ery  kind 
Then  dry, 
,  if  once 
36  of  ice 

He  after- 
summer, 
ely  made 
iside.  In- 

5SS,  and, 
u  will  be 
icquaint- 
entsthey 
of  differ- 
i,  and  of- 

so  as  to 
rn  round 
eth  hung 
in  differ- 
h  fine  la- 
r  a  pearl 
i  a  musk 

of  some 

aintance 
men,  al- 
3  was  d\i' 
ame,  ex- 
it as  well 
nmense. 
;he  head 
it  is  two 
*d  at  the 
maoota« 


ESQUIMAUX  MALE  COSTUME 


'■  '■■■      1  ■-'  S  1 


1         ! 


W  rP 


''i  " 

^  ?i 

',<ti  !| 


164 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


**  They  wear  a  band  round  their  waist,  which  in 
both  ornamental  and  Ui^iefui,  being  made  of  some 
rare  trinkets,  such  as  fox's  bones,  or  the  eats  of 
deer,  twenty  or  thirty  pairs  of  which  sometimes 
hang  round  them,  as  mementos  of  the  skill  of  some 
renowned  hunter  to  whom  they  are  related.  The 
ladies  have  trowsers  similar  to  the  men,  except 
that  they  are  made  of  white  fur  before,  and  black 
behind,  and  are  never  striped.  They  are  lied 
round  the  body  by  strings,  which  are  left  very 
long,  and  which  hang  down  ornamented  with  a 
pendent  jewel,  such  as  a  small  ball  of  wood,  a 
stone  with  a  hole  in  it,  or  a-musk-ox  tooth  ! 

"  The  women's  boots  are  truly  ludicrous,  and 
make  them  walk  like  a  fat  duck :  you  will  scarcely 
believe  them  to  be  as  large  as  those  in  my  drawing. 
In  fact  they  resemble  sacks  made  of  skin,  and  the 
bulky  part  being  near  the  knee  adds  to  the  pecu- 
liar effect  they  give  to  the  figures  of  the  ladies. 
The  upper  end  is  formed  like  a  pointed  flap,  which 
is  fastened  by  a  button  to  the  band  which  secures 
the  trowsers.  Two  pair  of  these  capacious  booti< 
are  worn,  besides  a  pair  of  seaUskin  shoes,  and 
they  are,  I  can  assure  you,  ornamented  at  least 
with  some  attention  to  taste. 

*'  As  for  children,  they  have  no  clothing  till 
they  are  two  or  three  years  old  ;  when  they  are  ta- 
ken out  of  their  mother's  hoods,  andstufted  into  a 
fawn-skin  jacket  and  trowsers  opening  behind,  and 
by  a  string  or  two  closed  up  again.  A  cap  is  al- 
ways worn  by  a  child,  and  the  fantastical  taste  of 
the  parents  here  displays  itself;  the  skin  of  a 
fiiwn's  head  with  the  ears  perfect,  is  a  favourito 
kind  of  cap  for  children,  and,  as  the  holes  for  tho 
niouih  and  eyes  go  across  the  top  of  the  child's 
head,  oj  coarse  the  little  urchin,  when  you  do  not 
sec  its  face,  looks  like  the  animal  itself. 


m^ 


i^hicli  in 
•f  some 
ears  ol* 
letimes 
afsomc 
I.  The 
except 
1  black 
re  lietl 
It  very 
fvith   a 

ood,  a 

r 

9,  and 

larcely 

awing. 

nd  the 

pecii" 

ladies. 

which 

cure& 

boot^i 

,  and 

least 

g  till 
re  ta- 
nto  a 
I.  and 
isal- 
itc  of 
of  a 

urito 

the 
ild's 

not 


'ESQUIMAUX  FEMALE  COSTUME 


m-.- 


VJ  'i 


to'h|,|: 


W& 


IGG 


nortiiehn  regions. 


**  With  regard  to  the  hair,  both  men  and  vvoniUii 
have  a  great  partiahty  to  the  side  locks,  which 
hang  down  sometimes  to  the  length  of  two  feet. 
The  front  locks  are  generally  cut  straight  across 
the  forehead,  but  those  who  keep  all  the  hair 
long,  tie  it  up  in  a  bunch  at  the  top  of  the  fore- 
head, from  whence  it  hanirs  loosely  down.  The 
women  always  divide  their  hair  into  two  parcel 
down  the  middle,  and  arrange  it  on  each  side  in- 
to two  huge  pigtails,  and  this  is  fastened  round  a 
bone  stiffener,  by  strips  of  skin  with  the  fur  on, 
and  forms  a  pretty  spiral  pattern :  the  bottom  of 
the  lock  is  finished  by  a  rose  of  hair. 

"  As  the  men  only  hunt  and  kill  the  animals, 
the  women  not  only  maUe  all  the  dresses,  but  they 
prepare  the  materials,  and  while  sitting  at  work 
their  feet  are  bent  under  their  thighs.  The  wife 
scrapes  and  dries  her  husband's  boots  when  he 
comes  in,  and  if  his  mittens  are  stiff,  she  and  the 
girls  chew  them  until  they  are  soft.  In  preparing 
dccr-skins,  after  hcking  the  fat  and  oil  off,  they 
scrape  and  dry,  then  chew,  rul;,  and  scour  them 
with  sand ;  a  second  rubbing,  while  damp,  gives 
them  the  appearance  of  shamoy  leather.  A  ce- 
ment of  seals'  blood,  whitish  clay,  and  dogs'  hair, 
enables  them  to  form  their  pots  of  stone ;  thev 
likewise  make  the  whalebone  pots." 


.■^■'^' 


M 


I  vvon.uii 
s,  which 
wo  feet. 
t  across 
the  hair 
le  fore- 
.      The 
parcels 
side  in- 
round  a 
fur  on, 
>ttoni  of 

mimals, 
but  they 
at  work 
^he  wife 
^vhen  he 
and  the 
e  paring 
ff,  they 
jr  them 
,  gives 
A  ce- 
5'  hair, 
;  thcv 


.NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


167 


/; 


CHAPTER  III. 

■ » 

''  After  this  minute  account  of  the  dress  and  ap- 
pearance of  the  Esquimaux,  you  will  be  able  to  fan- 
cy yourselves  with  me  in  my  visits  to  the  huts, 
which  were  almost  daily,  as  I  found  something  to 
amuse  me,  at  least,  in  the  novelty  of  all  I  saw. 

*'  My  next  visit  happened  to  be  just  after  they 
had  caught  some  seals  ;  and  blood,  bones,  blubber, 
and  flesh,  were  strewed  about ;  the  lamps  were  ab 
lighted,  the  women  were  cooking  mixtures  of  blood, 
meat,  and  entrails.  I  entered  Kettle's  hut,  and 
saw  there  two  women  sitting  enjoying  themselves 
over  a  large  pot  of  boiled  seal's  blood  and  oil, 
which  they  sipped  with  as  much  delight  as  your 
mama  would  sip  her  tea.  After  this  delicate 
meal  was  finished,  the  younger  lady  licked  her  fin- 
gers clean,  then  scraping  the  spots  of  oil  from  her 
jacket  and  boots  with  a  knife,  she  cleaned  that  al- 
so with  the  same  useful  implement,  her  tongue. 
The  elder  lady  rather  took  a  pride  in  the  blood 
which  covered  her,  and  wondered  at  the  folly  of 
her  companion  in  taking  such  useless  trouble. 

"  In  passing  one  of  the  huts,  I  observed  the  en- 
trance half  blocked  up  by  snow,  and  looking  in,  I 
saw  a  poor  idiot  boy  who  had  been  left  by  his  pa- 
rents while  they  went  to  the  ships.  He  was  about 
iive  years  old,  and  was  busy  devouring  the  contents 
of  the  lamp,  the  oil,  moss,  and  blubber,  which  he 
was  eating,  being  varied  by  a  bite  now  and  then  oft* 
a  very  dirty  lump  of  snow  ;  while  I  was  looking  at 
him  he  was  seized  with  a  fit,  and,  before  we  could 
break  down  the  snow  door  to  get  in  to  him,  he  had 


".  Hfi^. 


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Sdences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  145S0 

(716)  872-4S03 


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168  NORTHERN  REGIONS. 

forced  himself  out  of  his  pelt  blanket,  and  was  ly- 
ing on  the  floor.  The  fit  was  a  severe  one,  but 
he  gradually  got  better,  and  the  neighbours  who 
were  present  seemed  to  laugh  at  the  whole  affair, 
and  contented  themselves  with  saying  that  the 
child  had  eaten  too  much. 

*'  When  I  returned  from  this  visit  I  was  accom- 
panied by  Ay-o*-kitt,  a  young  man  who  was  become 
a  great  favourite  with  me.  He  paid  me  a  long  visit 
in  the  cabin,  and  I  set  some  food  before  him,  insist- 
ing that  he  should  use  a  knife  and  fork  as  we  do, 
wipe  his  mouth  before  drinking,  and  not  put  a  piece 
larger  than  an  orange  in  at  once,  the  natives  in  ge- 
neral cramming  their  mouths  till  they  can  no  longer 
breathe.  I  aflerwards  made  him  wash  his  hands 
and  face,  when  I  saw  him  cast  very  longing  eyes 
at  my  nice  piece  of  yellow  soap,  which  I  at  last 
gave  to  him,  and  he  devoured  it  in  a  moment. 

**  The  wolves  continued  to  torment  us  most  ter- 
ribly ;  I  had  purchased  a  couple  of  Esqurmaux  dog^, 
but  the  snow  house  which  I  had  built  for  them  was 
no  security;  they  were  carried  off  in  the  night  by 
the  wolves,  after  defending  themselves  bravely, 
for  the  very  ceiling  of  the  hut  was  sprinkled  with 
their  blood  and  hair.  On  the  alarm  being  given, 
we  saw  a  wolf  cantering  off  with  the  dead  dog  in  his 
mouth,  clear  of  the  ground,  although  the  dog  was 
full  as  large  as  the  wolf.  I  fired,  and  the  animal 
was  obliged  to  let  go  his  prey ;  but  when  I  went 
with  two  other  men  to  fetch  the  body  of  the  dog, 
we  observed  the  whole  pack  of  twelve  wolves  spy- 
ing us  through  the  gloom,  and  sideling  along  us  as 
we  returned  to  the  ships.  In  fact,  not  a  night  pass- 
ed without  some  depredations  by  these  animals. 

'*  We  set  a  trap  similar  to  what  the  natives  use, 
in  order  to  try  to  got  rid  of  our  troublesome  neigh- 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


169 


hours.  The  trap  was  composed  of  strong  slabs  of 
ice,  long  and  narrow,  and  was  just  large  enough  to 
hold  the  wolf  without  his  being  able  to  stir  in  it : 
the  door  let  down  by  slides,  and  was  kept  up  by  a 
siring,  which  passed  along  the  top  of  the  trap,  and 
then  was  let  down  through  a  hole  in  the  end.  At 
the  bottom  of  the  string  w^as  a  whalebone  hoop,  on 
which  was  fixed  the  flesh  bait.  The  hoop  was 
slightly  hooked  to  a  wooden  peg,  which  was  fixed 
to  the  opposite  end  of  the  trap,  and  when  the  bait 
was  touched,  the  hoop  went  up,  and  the  door  fell 
down. 

"  One  evening  a  wolf  was  taken  in  the  trap,  and 
three  balls  were  fired  at  him  while  he  was  confined 
in  it.  After  tying  his  hind  legs  we  dragged  him 
out  tail  first,  by  a  rope  ;  this  rope  he  bit  through 
in  a  minute,  flew  at  Mr.  Richards,  who  was  the 
nearest  to  him,  whose  arm  lie  bit,  after  seizing  his 
knee  and  being  thrown  off.  And  now,  my  boys, 
observe  the  advantage  of  presence  of  mind. 

"  Mr.  Richards,  instead  of  being  overcome  by 
terror,  grasped  the  animal's  throat  and  flung  him 
back,  at  the  same  time  retreating  a  step  or  two 
himself. 

"  The  wolf  gladly  took  the  opportunity  of  escap- 
ing, having  done  no  more  harm  than  tearing  Mr. 
Richards'  clothes  and  slightly  hurting  his  arm.  If 
Mr.  Richards  had  been  less  bi#ve,  or  if  he  had  not 
chanced  to  be  a  strong  and  powerful  man,  he  would 
have  been  killed.  The  enemy,  however,  was 
found  frozen  to  death  the  next  morning :  a  raven 
who  had  picked  out  one  of  its  eyes,  hovering  over 
its  carcase,  was  the  first  to  attract  our  attention  to  it. 

*'  We  soon  discovered  that  the  Esquimaux  are 
very  improvident,  as,  notwithstanding  they  had 

15 


V 


<T 


i^ 


170 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


lately  caught  so  many  seals,  they  were  now  in  n 
state  of  starvation.  Three  dogs  were  killed  ami 
eaten,  and  they  had  nothing  left  to  eat  but  bits  of 
skin,  of  course  we  gladly  sent  them  a  supply  of 
bread-dust  and  oil,  for  which  they  were  very  grate- 
ful at  the  time. 

"  As  the  little  band  of  savages  were  all  related 
to  one  another,  it  puzzled  them  to  think  how  it 
was  that  we  were  not  so.  1,  therefore,  to  save  trou- 
ble, called  myself  the  father  of  the  *  Kabloona,' 
which  is  their  name  for  the  white  people.  But  Mr. 
Kettle,  who  was  the  most  inquisitive  of  the  party, 
found  out  that  many  of  my  children  were  older  than 
myself,  and  was  not  quite  satisfied  with  my  story. 

**  On  the  14th  of  February  it  was  too  cold  for 
any  of  us  to  leave  the  shijis,  but  we  received  a 
friendly  visit  from  our  neighbours.  We  set  them 
to  play  at  a  game  at  leap  frog,  which  was  quite 
new  to  them,  and  the  young  men  made  most  awk- 
ward attempts  at  jumping,  and  often  pitched  upon 
their  heads.  They  bore  the  laugh  and  the  pain 
very  good-humouredly,  and  generally  returned  to 
the  game  without  being  disheartened.  A  winch, 
by  which  one  man  could  draw  towards  him  ten 
other  men  who  held  by  a  rope,  afforded  them  great 
amusement. 

"  Kettle  was  top  old  to  join  in  these  diversions, 
but  he  and  the  otlffir  old  men  laughed  till  the  tears 
ran  down  their  cheeks.  As  there  were  only  men 
who  had  visited  us  to  day,  we  sent  the  ladies  some 
])resents  of  candle  ends  by  their  husbands,  and  Ket- 
tle took  home  a  choice  cut  of  dog's  flesh  for  my 
mother,  which  he  carried  in  the  inside  of  his  inner 
boot,  next  to  the  dirty  calf  of  his  leg.  For  all  these 
presents  we  were  much  thanked  when  we  went  to 
the  huts.    We  amused  ourselves  by  painting  twoof 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


171 


their  faces  with  red  and  white  colours,  and  they 
went  home  delighted,  saying  their  wives  would  not 
know  them,  but  would  take  them  for  *  Kabloona* 
ladies.  (There  is  a  compliment  for  you,  Louisa.) 
To  make  them  stand  still,  to  be  so  adorned,  wc 
were  obliged  to  treat  them  in  turns  to  a  bite  of  a 
candle  end,  till  our  candles  and  our  colours  were 
exhausted. 

**  We  returned  this  visit  in  a  day  or  two,  and 
were  pleased  to  find  them  in  the  midst  of  plenty. 
The  seal  hunters  had  caught  an  abundance ;  heaps 
of  savoury  fare,  blood,  blubber,  and  entrails,  were 
lying  in  every  hut,  and  even  the  dogs  were  en- 
joying themselves,  as  they  went  from  one  child  to 
another,  licking  the  blood  and  grease  from  their 
chins  and  cheeks.  T.he  women  sat  cooking,  and 
sucking  their  fingers ;  the  men  lounging  about ; 
and  while  the  messes  were  preparing,  the  children 
tore  such  parts  of  the  entrails  as  were  not  too  tough 
for  their  young  teeth,  and  when  they  met  with  any 
very  hard  parts,  they  gai^e  it  to  their  mothers, 
who  soon  chewed  it  into  a  proper  state  for  their 
young  ones." 

Louisa.  This  account  is  a  very  disgusting  one, 
uncle  :  I  am  not  at  all  of  Charles's  opinion  that 
your  refusing  the  offer  of  a  child  is  a  matter  of 
regret.  I  should  not  fancy  amLlittle  urchin  mak- 
ing such  meals  here.  ^ 

**  I  own,  my  dear  Louisa,  the  sight  was  dis- 
gusting enough,  but  as  I  am  giving  you  a  full 
and  true  account  of  the  habits  of  a  set  of  people 
with  whom  I  associated  for  several  months,  yoir 
must  excuse  me  if  I  offend  your  delicacy,  in  or* 
der  to  gratify  your  desire  of  information. 

**  These  little  beings  know  not  the  comfort  of 
cleanliness,  they  have  not  a  notion  of  it ;  the  only 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


Way  their  hands  for  instance  are  cleaned,  is  by 
putting  their  closed  fist  into  the  mouth  of  their 
mother. 

"  I  was  invited  to  eat  a  fine  piece  of  half-boiled 
seal's  flesh,  from  which  the  old  lady  first  licked 
the  gravy  and  dirt,  and  bit  it  all  around  to  try 
which  was  the  tenderest  part.  I  refused,  you  may 
be  sure,  Louisa,  and  pressed  the  old  dame  to  eat 
it  herself,  which  she  very  soon  did  to  our  great 
amusement,  pretending  to  make  wry  faces  all  the 
while. 

**  I  found  that  the  women  do  not  eat  with  the 
men,  but  have  the  privilege  of  licking  the  gravy 
from  the  meat  before  they  present  it  to  their 
lords,  who  often  stuflTtill  they  are  stupified.  They 
have  no  knives  or  forks,  or  plates,  you  know,  so 
1  will  tell  you  how  they  manage  :  they  sit  round, 
and  a  lump  is  given  to  the  nearest  person ;  he 
sucks  it  all  round,  crams  his  mouth  as  full  as  he 
can,  and  cuts  it  oiF  close  to  his  lips,  to  their 
great  danger  as  well  as  his  nose.  The  meat 
then  passes  to  the  next  person,  who  does  the 
same  till  the  lump  is  done.  The  meal  continues 
a  long  time,  each  person  swallowing  several 
pounds.  The  pots  are  often  filled  again,  during 
which  time  the  party  suck  their  fingers,  or  enjoy 
a  little  raw  blublM|.  At  the  end  of  the  dinner, 
the  rich  soup  in  tne  pot  is  handed  round,  each 
taking  a  sip  in  their  turn  till  it  is  empty,  when 
the  good  woman  of  the  house  licks  it  clean  and 
prepares  to  make  her  own  mess.  The  meal  being- 
finished,  every  one  scrapes  the  grease  from  his 
face  to  his  mouth,  and  then  licks  clean  his  fin- 
gers. 

"  In  one  of  the  huts,  a  little  fellow  of  four 
years  old  amused  me  much.     I  have  described 


,  «A?f<r-. 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


173 


his 
fin- 


to  yoii  the  dress  which  disfigures  the  children ;  and 
this  was  the  ugliest  boy  of  his  tribe.  His  dirty  face, 
shaded  by  locks  of  tangled  black  hair,  almost  pre- 
vented him  from  seeing;  but  he  first  of  all  chal- 
lenged me  to  dance,  and  began  singing  and  beating 
his  drum  and  capering  away.  He  then  sat  solemn- 
ly still  while  I  danced.  When  I  was  quite  tired, 
he  took  my  book  and  pencil,  and  walked  round  to 
every  one,  gravely  asking  them  their  names  and 
pretending  to  write  them  dowrf,  as  he  had  seen 
me  do.  His  drum  wis  made  of  whalebone,  with 
a  thin  skin  drawn  over  it  on  one  side,  and  sounded 
like  a  bad  tambourine. 

*^  The  next  Sunday  the  natives  all  came  to  see 
us  go  to  church  on  board  the  Fury  ;  and,  having 
only  seen  us  in  our  grey  jackets,  their  admiration 
was  truly  great,  and,  indeed,  they  hardly  knew  us 
again  in  our  full  dress.  The  ladies  all  danced 
and  shouted  as  the  marines,  in  their  red  coats, 
passed. 

"  I  was  favoured  with  a  visit  from  Togorlat  and 
her  mother,  Il-yoo-ma,  who  brought  me  these  lit- 
tle Esquimaux  dolls,  which  I  give  to  you,  Louisa, 
and  can  assure  you  they  arc  very  well  dressed, 
and  will  give  you  a  better  idea  of  the  person  and 
clothing  of  an  Esquimaux  female  than  my  long  de- 
scription. Togorlat  tattooed  another  pattern  upon 
my  arm,  while  her  old  mother  undertook  to  do  the 
same  upon  Mr.  Bird.  His  repeated  *  Ohs'  drew 
my  attention,  and  I  found  that  the  old  woman  was 
talking  and  stitching  away  as  if  upon  an  old  shoe, 
and  that,  moreover,  she  was  so  blind,  that  all  the 
lines  she  made  were  crooked. 

*<  Okootook,  and  his  wife  Iligliak,  next  came  to 
see  mC}  with  their  ugly  stupid  looking  little  boy,  who 

15» 


"•♦* 


174 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


surpHscd  me,  however,  by  imitating  the  tones  of  a 
variety  of  animals  and  birds.  Young  ducks  quack- 
ing again,  in  reply  to  the  distant  quack  of  their 
mother — every  sound,  from  the  hum  of  the  fly  to 
the  growl  of  a  bear,  was  mimicked  by  him. 

"  It  was  on  the  same  day  that  an  iron  bolt  and 
tin  fiinnel  were  missing  from  the  Hecla,  and  the 
Esquimaux  all  charged  my  friend,  old  Kettle,  witli 
being  the  thief.  I  was  so  pleased  with  Ayokitt, 
who  sat  in  my  room  drawing  men  and  boats,  that 
I  invited  him  to  stay  and  sleep  on  board,  to  which 
he  willingly  consented. 

**  After  washing  his  face  and  hands,  we  made 
him  draw  a  chair  and  join  our  evening  circle  round 
the  fire.  He  even  drrnk  some  coftee  with  us,  and 
eat  some  gingerbread,  but  he  did  it  as  if  it  wert' 
medicine  he  lelt  obliged  to  take.  1  taught  him  to 
snuff  the  candles  and  stir  the  fire,  and  then  we 
looked  at  pictures  togetl^r.  He  was  much  sur- 
prised when  I  showed  hi^  drawings  of  horses,  he 
having  seen  no  such  animals,  and  he  called  them 
yook-too,  or  rein-deer.  All  insects  he  called  yak- 
ka-likki-tea,  or  butterflies.  When  he  came  to 
crabs  and  to  a  party  of  young  frdgs^  he  called 
them  kabloona,  or  white  men. 

**  He  was  very  angiy  in  talking  of  the  theft  that 
had  been  committed,  and  said  Kettle  was  the 
thief;  and  he  called  over  the  names  of  his  own 
family  on  his  fingers,  saying  to  each,  a$  he  nam- 
'ed  them,  *  not  a  tliief.' 

"  The  poor  fellow  was  so  pleased  with  my  at- 
tempts to  amuse  him,  that  he  seemed  to  think  me 
a  very  great  *  annatko,'  or  conjurer.  At  nine 
o'clock  he  Was  completely  tired  out,  and  we  per- 
suaded him  to  lie  down  before  the  fire,  where  he 
soon  began  to  snore,  and  muttered  many  words  in 


m 
hi 


rr 


NORTIIERxN  REGIONS. 


to 


Ills  dreams.  The  next  morning,  after  I  had  shaved 
myself,  I  persuaded  him  to  let  me  do  the  same  to 
him,  which,  added  to  a  good  washing,  so  ahcred 
Iiim,  that  when  he  examined  his  complexion  in  a 
glass,  he  declared  that  he  was  not  an  Ayokitt,  but 
a  Kabloona.  After  a  good  breakfast,  he  took  his 
leave,  carrying  with  him,  a  present  from  me,  a 
boarding-pike,  on  which  was  marked  with  small 
nails  the  names  of  the  ships  and  the  date  of  the 
year. 

"  My  first  friend  Kettle  was  not  long  before  he 
made  his  peace  with  me,  for  he  took  good  care  to 
watch  me  as  I  next  visited  the  huts,  and,  running, 
shouting  after  mc,  till  I  stopped,  managed,  with 
the  assistance  of  a  tin  pot  and  piece  of  iron,  to 
make  me  some  kind  of  an  explanation. 

*'  It  was  not  difficult tr  persuade  me  that  he  was 
not  the  thief,  and  therefore  we  soon  shook  hands, 
each  making  a  long  speech  which  neither  of  us 
understood. 

*'  A  boarding-pike  was  next  missed  ;  but,  when 
our  men  wenjt  to  the  huts  to  inquire  for  it,  they 
met  with  a  most  rough  reception  from  the  ladies, 
who  declared  that  the  *  kabloona'  were  thieves 
and  had  stolen  all  their  things.  At  that  very  mo- 
ment they  sat  surrounded  by  heaj;s  of  presents 
which  they  had  had  from  us,  and  for  which  they 
had  eagerly  offered  their  things  in  exchange  ;  but 
the  fact  was,  they  cared  not  for  us  as  long  as  they 
had  oil  for  their  lamps  and  food'  to  eat,  while 
their  gratitude  returned  when  a  day  of  famine 
came. 

Charles.  Ah,  uncle,  you  are  beginning  to  dis- 
cover the  faulty  side  of  your  friends'  characters. 
Uncle  Richard.     It  is  true,  Charles ;  and  I 
suppose  it  reminds  you  of  your  old  copy,  *  Famil- 


^.' 


m 


170 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


iarity  breeds  contempt ;'  but  I  deserved  a  disap- 
pointment,  if  I  expected  that  uncultivated  savages 
should  be  free  from  faults,  when  those  who  have 
so  many  more  advantages  are  so  far  from  being 
faultless. 

**  First  impressions  are  not  always  to  be  de- 
pended upon ;  and  I  now  saw  reason  to  change 
mine  respecting  tho  neat  and  comfortable  appear- 
ance of  the  snow  huts,  for  the  fires  that  had  been 
kept  up  in  the  late  abundance,  caused  an  incessant 
dripping  and  thawing,  and  rendered  them. so  rot- 
ten, that  one  woman  fell  through  the  roof  as  she 
was  clearing  the  snow.  Almost  ail  were  sufTer- 
ing  from  coughs  and  colds,  and  many  had  lost  their 
voices.  // 

•  **  One  happy  event  occurred  in  the  complete 
extirpation  of  the  gang  of  wolves,  the  last  of 
which,  to  the  great  joy  of  the  natives,  was  caught 
in  our  trap  at  the  time, 

"  Our  time  was  now  a  good  deal  employed  in 
getting  charts  of  the  country  from  Iligliak  and 
Eewarat;  and  the  sum  of  the  information  was, 
that  a  sea  existed  to  the  north,  wh'ich  was  open 
in  the  summer,  and  that  in  this  sea  were  many 
islands  on  which  Esquimaux  reside,  some  con- 
stantly, and  others  as  they  travel  about  along  the 
coast." 

ToiM.  Probably,  uncle,  that  may  be  the  same 
coast  that  poor  Captain  Franklin  sailed  along,  and 
which  he  expected  would  lead  into  Repulse  Bay. 

'*  It  is  most  likely  so,  Tom.  We  shall  see  what 
other  light  we  shall  gain  upon  the  subject ;  for  the 
present,  we  were  blocked  up ;  but,  as  the  weather 
began  to  look  more  smiling,  we  determined  to 
make  a  little  journey  to  explore  the  coast  about  our 
present  station. 


NORTHERN   REGI'^NS. 


4  t 


dc- 


''  We  set  out :  but  were  punished  licrc,  too, 
for  our  hasty  judgments,  for  the  bitter  cold  return- 
ed; and,  after  wandering  about  for  many  hours, 
\ye  became  bewildered  in  the  snow ;  and,  after  se- 
vere suffering,  which  nearly  occasioned  the  loss 
of  life  to  one  of  our  companions,  we  returned  to 
the  ships  covered  with  frost  bites. 

"  As  the  natives  had  now  been  sometime  with- 
out catching  any  seals  or  walruses,  great  distress 
again  prevailed  among:st  them,  and  a  report 
reached  us  that  they  were  moving  their  station.— 
I  ran  to  the  huts ;  and  true,  I  found  them  broken 
and  deserted,  except  by  a  few  old  women  and  one 
old  man,  who  was  sitting  alone  without  food  or 
furniture :  all  was  carried  away. 

"  On  my  return  to  the  ships,  I  found  five  old 
women  who  had  come  down  for  food,  dancing 
away  on  deck,  as  if  they  were  the  happiest  crea- 
tures in  the  world,  kicking  their  legs  as  high  as 
their  heads,  making  faces,  and  screaming  with  all 
their  might.  They  had  eaten  a  pailful  of  bread*- 
dust,  and  forgot  in  their  own  merriment,  the  star- 
ving condition  of  those  in  the  huts,  for  whom  they 
likewise  had  had  food  given  them. 

"  Two  large  walruses  were  soon  caught,  and 
many  families  returned  to  the  huts  to  gormandize. 
One  man  had  eaten  until  he  was  quite  drunk,  and 
was  dozing  with  his  mouth  open.  His  tender  wife, 
Arnalooa,  sat  by  the  cooking  pot,  and  every  now 
and  then  awakened  her  husband,  cramming  his 
mouth  full  of  half  boiled  flesh,  which  she  stuffed  in 
with  her  finger  and  then  cut  off  the  himp  close 
to  his  lips.  The  blood  and  fat  streaming  about 
him,  made  him  look  truly  disgusting. 

**  They  now  pretended  to  despise  the  bread  and 
oil  with  which  we  so  kindly  supplied  them,  when 


<i  •  'i 


I'ui 


» 


178 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


hy  their  excessive  gluttony,  they  had  brought  on 
u  famine,  and  this  discovery  of  their  ingratitude, 
added  to  their  many  thefts,  prevented  us  from  re- 
gretting theif  change  of  abode,  particularly  as 
their  visittf^vould  have  been  very  troublesome  to 
our  ships  as  spring  approached,  and  when  wc 
were  obliged  to  be  more  actively  employed. 

**  Their  final  departure  now  took  place  ;  their 
sledges  were  packed  up  a  yard  high  with  furniture 
and  skins,  tin  pots,  bottles,  andjars  hanging  dang- 
ling all  around  the  pile,  while  knives,  forks,  and 
other  little  thmgs  filled  up  the  spaces.  The  very 
little  children  muffled  in  skins,  were  packed  up  like 
bundles  at  the  very  top.  The  transparent  windows 
of  ice  were  carried  with  them.  Even  the  dogs 
seemed  to  know  they  were  about  to  begin  a  long 
journey,  for  they  howled  piteously.  The  signal 
was  given,  the  sledges  shot  down  the  hill,  one  man 
taking  care  of  each  sledge,  and  the  others  walking 
with  the  women.  We  accompanied  the  party  for 
(ftk couple  of  miles,  all  in  great  glee  ;  but  one  party 
was  ridiculously  sad.  They  all  declared  they  should 
never  see  us  again,  unless  indeed  there  should  be 
a  famine,  and  then  we  might  be  sure  to  see  them. 

**  They  indeed  kept  their  word,  and  I  will  de- 
scribe to  you  what  a  kind  of  day  it  was  that  they 
spent  on  the  ships  when  they  did  come  one  after 
the  other.  They  would  stuff  as  if  they  had  not 
eaten  for  a  month,  then  they  would  lay  down  and 
sleep  for  two  or  three  hours,  then  stufi' again,  and 
then  sleep,  and  so  on  for  several  times,  and  when 
one  ship  was  tired  of  supplying  them,  they  would 
go  a-begging  to  another. 

*'  To  our  great  delight,  a  general  thaw  now  took 
place,  the  hills  looked  speckled  and  the  birds  re- 
turned.    Such  was  our  joy  at  again  seeing  these 


.\  r> 


^' 


XOaTIIEftN  REGIONS 


no 


liai'bingci's  ofspring,  that  wc  counted  thcni  as  tlicy 
came.  I  wished  much  to  bring  home  a  snow  bunt- 
ing, the  pUimage  of  which  is  beautiful ;  their  wings 
are  jetty  black,  and  on  their  bredst  i^^a  cream-co- 
loured mark  in  the  shape  of  a  horse-sl^e,  which 
contrasts  most  beautifully  with  the  snow^whitencss 
of  their  body.  Their  heads  and  necks  were  deli- 
cntely  tinged  with  pink,  from  the  buds  of  the  saxi- 
frage which  they  eat ;  and  these  lovely  creatures 
are  as  tame  as  a  robin,  and  very  nice  to  eat,iial- 
thougli  we  could  scarcely  fhid  in  our  hearts  to  kill 
them.  *  '. 

*'  In  consequence  of  this  encouragement  from 
the  more  open  staleoftiie  weather,  we  again  set 
forth  for  a  land  exploring  journey,  the  particulars 
of  which  will  not  interest  you,  though  it  served  to 
give  us  some  idea  of  the  month  of  May  in  the  arc- 


tic regions. 


% 


*'  The  object  of  this  little  tour  was  to  discover 
to  what  point  the  ships  might  sail  without  thede-,' 
lay  of  coasting  in  order  to  explore  inlets,  and  sa  •, 
far  it  answered  the  purpose.     Nothing  could  b*  , 
more  flat  and  uninteresting  than  the  country;  no 
vegetation  gladdened  our  eyes,  which  were  afflict- 
ed with  snow-blindness ;  while  the  partial  thaw, 
though  it  did  not  supply  us  with  water,  made  us 
perpetually  slipping  in  as  we  walked,  and  kept  us 
in  a  damp  and  dripping  slate  when  under  shelter 
of  our  tents.  We  saw  no  birds,  but  plenty  of  deer, 
though  they  were  thin  ones. 

**  We  found,  on  our  return  to  the  ships,  that 
our  companions  were  grieving  for  the  loss  of  James 
Fringle,  a  seaman,  who  had  died  during  our  ab- 
sence. His  grave  had  been  dug  near  the  observa- 
tory, and  we  buried  him  next  day,  and  fired  a 
volley  over  his  body. 


HI 


t 


% 


180 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


!•  ^  **  I  was  greeted  by  a  straggling  Esquimaux,  who 

had  not  yet  followed  his  party,  with  a  '  very  well, 
I  taank  you,'  accompanied  by  a  dandy  bow,  which 
he  had  bee^^  taught  to  make  at  the  ships ;  and, 
"*^  when  I  tojd  him  we  had  seen  deer,  he  determined 
to  take  his  wife  and  another  family  who  still  haunt- 
ed the  ships,  in  search  of  them.  They  were 
wretchedly  poor.  Captain  Parry  gave  them  a 
bone  sledge,  on  which  they  placed  their  Idads,  one 

•  dog*  and  a  bandy  le<^ged  little  puppy  being  all  they 
^  had  to  drag  it.  They  thought  the  journey  they 
were  about  to  begin  might  take  them  forty  days, 
and  yet,  without  a  morsel  of  food  besides  a  little 
bread  and  a  few  candle-ends,  they  set  off  in  as 
.  high  spirits  as  if  in  a  land  of  plenty.  When  they 
took  leave  of  us.  Captain  Parry  presented  each 
man  with  a  boarding-pike,  and  Captain  Lyon  with 
a  hatchet ;  while  a  poor  woman  who  was  divorced 
from  her  husband,  and  had  no  one  to  rejoice  for, 

,  stood  with  the  tears  in  her  eyes,  not  even  begging 
for  any  thing  for  herself.  Captain  Lyon  gave  her 
a  knife,  and  made  her  completely  happy  by  tell- 
ing her,  that  as  soon  as  she  brought  her  husband 
with  her.  he  too  should  have  an  axe. 

**  We  soon  had  plenty  of  new  visiters  in  the 
shape  of  birds  :  the  grouse  at  first  were  white  ;  but 
the  raven,  strange  to  say,  keeps  its  black  plumage 
throughout  the  year.  The  king-duck,  which  is 
something  like  an  eider-drake,  is  a  most  brilliant 
creature  ;  and  we  saw,  too,  a  large  flock  of  long- 
tailed  ducks. 

**  Wc  now  set  to  work  cutting  a  canal  into  the 
open  water ;  and  the  process  being  the  same  as 
that  I  described  to  vou  on  a  former  occasion,  I 
need  not  dwell  upon  it  now. 

*♦  I  hadjny  curiosity  gratified  in  the  sight.of  a 


'# 


z,  who 
r  well, 
which 
;  and, 
mined 
liaunt- 
werc 
hem  a 
Is,  one 
ill  they 
y  they 
r  days, 
a  little 
f  in  as 
n  they 
i  each 
in  with 
vorced 
ce  for. 
Egging 
ve  her 
»y  tell* 
isband 

in  the 
e  ;  but 
image 
lich  is 
illiant 


•1 


long- 


tto  the 
me  as 
sion,  I 

It, of  a 

i 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


181 


swan's  nest  with  three  eggs  in,  and  an  enormous 
pile  it  is.  It  is  a  curious  construction,  built  of  lit- 
tie  pieces  of  peat,  which  is  a  kind  of  turf,  no  larger 
than  a  walnut,  neatly  placed  one  upon  another. 
The  eggs  are  laid  in  a  hole  at  the  top,  whichJs  a 
foot  and  a  half  in  diameter,  so  that  the  female  bird 
is  seen  in  full  length  while  sitting.  The  eggs 
were  a  dull  white  colour,  and  made  three  good 
meals  for  one  of  our  invalids. 

"  It  was  the  ninth  of  June  when  we  saw  the  first 
flower  ;  and  is  it  not  singular,  that  it  was  the  same 
day  of  the  same  month  on  which  we  had  seen  the 
same  flower  (saxifrage)  at  Melville  Island,  on  our 
former' voyage  ?" 

Tom.  But,  uncle,  you  were  much  further  north 
at  Melville  Island. 

**  Yes,  it  is  true,  we  were  as  many  as  nine  de- 
grees farther  north ;  but  I  fancy,  in  the  arctic  re- 
gions, that  makes  but  little  diflbrence,  as  we  had 
various  proofs  of  it  both  in  the  vegetation  and  in 
the  showers  of  rain. 

"  After  fifteen  days'  hard  but  cheerful  labour, 
the  canal  was  completed ;  and,  fancying  that  the 
next  day  we  should  leave  Water  Island,  several  of 
us  went  to  the  little  hill  called  Cape  Fisher,  to 
take  leave  of  the  place  on  which  we  had  passed  so 
many  months,  and  to  which  we  all  had  a  feeling 
of  attachment,  notwithstanding  its  barren  and 
comfortless  appearance. 

*' On  this  spot  we  painted  the  ships*  names; 
and,  after  shooting  and  roasting  a  few  buntings 
for  supper,  we  each  took  a  piece  of  yackee,  or  Es- 
quimaux stone,  and  thus  ended  our  rural  and  cold 
f6te." 

Charles.    Before  you  leave  the  island,  pray 

16 


• 


• 


lat 


NORTHETRN   REG  ION.?. 


tell  me,  uncle,  had  you  not  some  gardens  this  time 
as  before  f 

"  Indeed,  Charles,  we  had  a  hot-bed  covered 
with  glass  for  each  ship,  and  this  garden  was  a 
favourite  lounge,  and  produced  us,  besides  mustard 
and  cress,  peas,  two  inches  high,  and  radishes  as 
thick  as  a  thread.  Captain  Parry's  stoves,  too, 
were  very  productive  in  mustard  and  cress.*' 


JM-i, 


\ 


\ 


CHAPTER  IV.  ^ 

*'  Thus  passed  our  first  winter ;  and  you  will 
remark,  that  though  our  knowledge  of  the  natives 
was  much  increased,  yet  we  had  not  made  much 
progress  in  discovery.  For  two  hundred  and  sixty- 
seven  days,  which  is  nearly  three  quarters  of  the 
y«ar,  w^e  had  been  frozen  in ;  but  at  length  we 
sailed  forth,  and  were  well  pleased  to  be  once  more 
proceeding  in  a  northerly  direction. 

'*  As  we  advanced,  the  tides  became  tempestu- 
ous, and  threatened  theHecla,  whose  only  way  of 
escaping  was  to  shelter  herself  behind  a  fender  of 
ice.  The  floes  of  ice  were  at  length,  however, 
driven  against  her  with  such  force,  that  a  weaker 
vessel  must  have  been  knocked  to  pieces.  We  got 
through  it,  however,  and  continued  coasting  it  at  a 
slow  rate,  the  Fury  being  before  us,  until  we  were 
stopped  by  the  ice.  Landing  for  a  short  time, 
therefore,  we  were  gratified  by  a  sight  of  a  fine 
cataract  and  some  magnificent  scenery,  such  as 
we  bad  never  before  witnessed  in  these  regions. 

**  Whilci  we  were  still  stationary,  we  had  a  regu- 


■^,'> 


NORTHERN   REGlOxNS. 


l83 


lar  battle  with  some  walruses,  a  herd  of  which  lay 
facing  us  with  open  mouths  on  the  ice. 

**  A  male  and  female,  and  their  cub,  were  apart 
from  the  rest.  We  wounded  the  old  ones,  who, 
after  a  desperate  resistance,  were  killed,  and  taken 
alongside  our  boat.  The  cub  had  kept  close  to 
them  all  along,  getting  first  on  the  back  of  one  and 
then  of  the  other,  and  its  presence  made  them 
more  fierce  in  their  defence. 

*'  At  length,  from  the  crow's  nest,  we  discovered 
Esquimaux  tents,  in  the  very  spot  laid  down  for 
our  guide  by  Iligliak.  We  went  in  our  boats  to 
visit  them,  and  now  knew  enough  of  their  lan- 
guage to  answer  their  questions  of  *  Where  do 
you  come  from  ?'     *  What  do  you  want  ?^ 

"  They  were  all  related  to  our  friends  at  Winter 
Island ;  and,  therefore,  after  the  first  shyness  was 
worn  off,  they  were  delighted  to  hear  news  of  them, 
and  we  each  of  us  had  soon  an  attentive  audience  in 
each  tent,  to  whom  we  told  all  we  knew.  Some 
of  the  old  men  carried  a  spear  mado  of  a  single 
piece  of  ivory  of  an  unicorn's  horn. 

"  This  band  of  Esquimaux  live  in  tents  covered 
with  walrus'  skins,  and  not  in  snow-houses,  like 
their  relations.  They  appeared  very  poor  and 
miserable,  their  dirty  deer-skins  scarcely  afford- 
ing them  sufficient  covering  to  keep  them  warm 
at  night.  They  were  well  behaved  ;  and,  when 
we  entered  their  tents,  thanked  us,  and  begged 
us  to  sit  down  on  their  deer-skins. 

"  Of  their  hospitality  we  had  most  convincing 
proofs,  for  when  we  left  them  to  return  to  the  ships, 
we  launched  our  boat  in  a  thick  fog ;  and^  after 
being  beaten  about  by  the  ice  for  some  Iiours,  we 
were  obliged  to  save  it  as  well  as'ourselves  by  drag- 
ging it  back  to  the  beach.    Here  the  natives  met 


-* 


siiiiiii 


18t 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


US  in  spite  of  the  inclement  weather^  and  got  our 
boat  up  the  steep  shingle  bank.  As  we  could  not 
stay  by  her,  we  were  obliged  to  trust  to  the  honesty 
of  the  Esquimaux.  After  making  them  a  long 
speech,  which  I  dare  say  they  did  not  understand, 
about  some  tin  pots  which  we  would  give  them  if 
they  let  the  boat  alone,  an  old  man  seemed  to  make 
them  an  oration,  and  then  they  all  followed  us 
without  touching  the  boat,  although  it  contained 
so  tempting  a  store  of  wood  and  iron. 

**  They  then  led  us  to  their  tents,  took  oiF  our 
wet  garments,  and  clothed  us  in  their  own  furs, 
which  they  stripped  off  their  backs. 

**  The  women  came  and  volunteered  a  dance  for 
our  amusement,  to  which  they  added  various  gri- 
maces and  cries,  which  they  called  singing.  We 
then  tried  to  sing  them  some  noisy  chorusses,  but 
oar  teeth  chattered  with  cold.  The  women,  per- 
ceiving how  cold  we  were,  tucked  us  up  under  our 
deer-skins,  over  which  they  spread  boots,  mittens, 
and  raw  duck  -skins,  while  the  men  stopped  up  all 
the  holes  in  the  tent  with  bunches  of  feathers. 

"  With  these  kind  and  hospitable  attentions  wc 
soon  got  warm,  and  enjoyed  a  comfortable  night's 
rest,  for  which  we  the  next  day  repaid  our  friends, 
by  making  them  presents  of  every  thing  which  wc 
had  in  our  possession. 

**  We  took  leave  of  the  Exquimaux ;  and,  not- 
withstanding the  fog,  reached  the  ships  in  safety, 
but  we  found  them  still  beset  with  ice. 

**  On  my  next  visit  to  Igloolik,  I  visited  their  win- 
ter huts,  which  are  curiously  constructed  of  the 
bones  of  the  whale,  walrus,  and  unicorn,  filled  up 
with  moss  and  earth.  They  were  domed  at  top, 
and  most  filthy  inside,  and  all  around  the  outside 
lay  skeletons  of  animals  mingled  with  human  heads. 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


185 


long 


Here  I  shot  a  snowy  owl,  which  is  a  rare  and  beaa- 
tiful  bird :  it  is  considered  as  being  of  a  species 
between  an  eagle  and  an  owl,  and,  like  owls  in 
general,  it  sees  as  well  by  day  as  by  night. 

"  To  see  a  little  of  the  country,  as  well  as  to 
improve  my  acquaintance  with  these  good-humour- 
ed Esquimaux,  I  determined  upon  going  a  few 
days' journey  with  Toole-mak,  the  old  man  whom 
Captain  Parry  had  commissioned  to  procure  a 
supply  of  fish  for  the  ships. 

*'  We  set  off,  with  four  men  accompanying  us  in 
our  sledge,  and  three  hoys  in  another,  and  a  team 
of  eleven  dogs.  We  left  the  island  of  Igloolik,  and 
travelled  along  the  ice,  and  passed  a  number  of  red 
granite  islands,  bold  arid  barren  to  view,  but  \vg 
soon  found  the  holes  in  the  ice  difficult  to  pass. 

"  Dunn,  the  old  man,  and  m}  self,  walked  to  an 
island  to  look  about  us,  and  found  that  there  was 
water  instead  of  ice  a  little  way  further,  and  that 
we  could  not  proceed  except  with  a  boat.    As  we' 
could  not,  therefore,  reach  the   fish in*r- place,  we 
speirt  a  night  on  one  of  these  rocky  islands,  and  I 
was  obliged  to  distribute  our  four  days'  supply  of 
food  among  the  whole  party  that  night,  for  the  Es- 
quimaux, ever  improvident,  had  brought  none  with 
them.     The   next   nioinmg  wc  saw  a  group  of 
thirty  islands,  which  I  named  the  Coxe  Group* 
Dunn  caught  us  a  deer,  by  the  usual  stratagem 
among  th(yp^tive3.  He  hid  himself  behind  a  stone, 
the  singular  cry  of  a  deer,  which  soon 
f  these  simple  animals,  and  he  came 
p  allow  himself  to  be  shot.     We  all 
n  a  skin,  and  enjoyed  an  excellent 
squimaux  fashion  ;  and,  I  can  assure 
you,  so  wellvfere  the  bo^cs  picked,  that  not  even 

IG* 


and  imitatj 
attracted 
near  e 
sat  s 
meali 


186 


NORTHERN   REGIOiNS. 


the  dogs  would  gnaw  at  them  a  second  time.  You 
must  remember,  Louisa,  that  this  was  the  first  In- 
dian meal  I  had  ever  been  present  at,  and  my  first 
feeling  was  of  disgust  at  the  raw  repast.  I  deter- 
mined to  be  a  spectator  only,  and  to  confine  my- 
self to  eating  a  little  preserved  meat  which  I  had 
saved  from  the  last  night's  supper;  but  t  was 
tempted  to  try  a  part  of  the  spine,  and  found  it,  in- 
deed, excellent ;  and,  if  I  were  often  situated  in  a 
similar  manner,  I  know  not  if  I  should  not  even 
reHsh,  as  a  dainty,  raw  venison." 

Charles.     And  how  did  you  like  their  mode 
of  travelling,  uncle — drawn  by  dogs  ? 

**  You  would  have  been  delighted  to  have  been 
with  us,  Charles ;  their  sagacity  was  beyond  every- 
thing. An  old  dog  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the 
team  as  guide,  and  no  well-trained  soldier  could 
obey  better  the  word  of  command.  As  for  beat- 
ing, it  was  out  of  the  question ;  for,  however  tired, 
the  cry  of  a  seal  or  bear  was  enough  to  set  them  off 
full  gallop  across  the  ice.  It  was  a  fine  sight  to 
«ee  us  racing  away  all  in  full  cry,  as  if  dashing- 
along  in  spite  of  wind  and  water.  Sometimes  one 
of  our  dogs  would  get  entangled  and  tossed  over, 
when  our  driver  would  jump  from  his  seat  in  front, 
and  nimbly  arrange  all,  and  set  ofl^  again.  As  for 
harness  or  reins,  the  long-lashed  whip  and  the  hol- 
low tones  of  our  driver  answered  the  purpose  well 
enough  ;  and  the  dogs  would  have  gone  orderly 
enough  through  any  difficult  pass,  if  tj^eir  constant 
biting  and  fighting  had  not  somewha^i^errupted 
them.  The  noises  the  men  made,  .3bich  are 
scarcely  more  musical  than  the  growla^tlite  dogs^ 
formed  a  most  stunning  concert. 

"  Our  reception  from  Ooyarra,  the  fisherman, 
was  truly  hospitable,  while  his  wives  and  parents 


#■ 


'i^>1|1*.; 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


187 


assisted  in  taking  my  wet  clothes  off  and  drying 
and  mending  my  boots.  I  wrapped  myself  up  in 
my  blanket  bag  and  hoped  for  a  little  sleep  ;  but, 
no,  one  native  after  another  came  in,  and  all  were 
too  curious  to  know  how  I  could  have  got  into  my 
bag,  to  allow  me  much  repose.  They  all  thought 
I  had  sewed  myself  up  in  it. 
^  **  I  learnt  the  following  day  a  new  way  of  mak- 
ing fires  of  blubber  and  bones.  The  woman  who 
is  about  to  cook  the  dinner  chews  a  piece  of  blub- 
ber, and  then  spits  the  oil  from  her  mouth  upon 
the  fire  to  keep  it  burning. 

**  A  number  of  strange  customs  excited  my  cu- 
riosity, and  you  will  scaicely  believe  the  story  I 
am  going  to  tell  you.  I  was  dozing  in  my  tent 
about  the  middle  of  the  day,  when  a  native  came 
and  led  me  by  the  hand,  desiring  Dunn  to  follow 
us,  to  a  ball.  We  entered  a  tent,  where  a  number 
of  women,  ranged  according  to  their  ages,  sat 
round  the  room  in  solemn  silence.  It  was  an  Es- 
quimaux ball ;  the  dancers  were  two  men,  who  ad- 
vanced to  the  middle  of  the  tent,  near  the  pole  of 
it.  The  principal  dancer  moved  slowly  to  the  fa- 
vourite tune  of  Am-naa-ya-a-ya,  and  when  a  little 
tired,  walked  up  gravely  to  the  second  man,  who 
was  the  assistant,  and  holding  his  head  between 
his  hands,  rubbed  noses  with  him,  amid  the  'houts 
of  all  the  lookers  on.  He  did  the  same  thing  over 
again  for  several  times,  till  at  last  he  led  the  as- 
sistant to  the  middle  of  the  tent,  and  rushed  out 
into  the  air  to  cool  himself.  The  assistant  then 
chose  a  partner,  and  so  on  till  several  couples  had 
danced.  But,  alas,  they  were  not  contented  unless 
I,  too,  joined  in  the  diversion.  I  was  led  up  by  a 
filthy  fellow,  who  seemed  to  consider  it  an  excellent 
joke,  and,  with  all  the  ladies  laughing  at  me,  I  was 


I 
I 

I 


188 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


m 


obliged  to  stand  up  and  have  my  nose  rubbed  like 
the  rest.  When  my  turn  came  to  choose  a  part- 
ner, you  may  depend  upon  it,  Louisa,  1  picked  out 
the  prettiest  girl  in  the  room  to  dance  with,  which 
highly  flattered  the  old  dame  her  mother.  I  went 
on  dancing  for  some  time,  till  at  last  I  too  became 
weary  ;  and,  after  a  present  of  needles  to  the  ladies 
I  made  my  escape.  Dunn  had  more  wisdom  than 
myself,  for  when  he  saw  the  liberty  that  was  taken 
with  my  nose,  he  made  his  escape,  and  no  entreaty 
could  get  him  back  into  the  room  again. 

"  These  poor  wretches  have  notions  of  receiving 
visiters,  as  appeared  from  their  kindness  to  me  ; 
for  whatever  tent  I  visited,  the  master  always  rose 
and  gave  me  the  best  seat.  Th^\v  exchan<re  visits 
regularly  among  one  another,  and  the  men  carry  a 
long  knife  on  purpose  to  cut  their  food  with,  and 
from  these  dangerous  companions  their  fingers 
often  sufter,  in  their  over  anxiety  to  get  at  the 
dainties  quickly.  A  fashionable  employment  in- 
deed, is  to  flourish  and  lick  this  knife  from  one  end 
to  the  other,  whenever  there  is  a  little  pause  in 
the  course  of  the  meal. 

*'  It  was  with  sorrow  I  thought  of  quitting  these 
hospitable  people,  who,  in  their  quiet  state,  were 
different  from  the  other  band  of  Esquimaux,  whose 
shouting  and  eagerness  for  barter  made  them 
sometimes  very  teazing.  Before  I  left  them  we 
had  a  good  game  of  leap-frog,  which  I  taught 
them,  and  in  which  they  took  great  delight,  the 
women  even,  with  great  children  at  their  backs,, 
running  andjuraping  with  all  their  might.  Some 
marks  of  their  kind  attention  were  left  upon  my 
arm,  as  you  may  perceive  in  this  kakeen  of  a  lit-r 
tie  man,  which  Ooyarra's  wife  performed. 

'^  Our  ships  again  set  sail,  and  it  was  not  long, 


'4 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


189 


before  we  entered  a  strait  in  the  north-west  direc- 
tion, and  about  four  miles  wide,  which  we  named 
the  Strait  of  the  Fury  and  the  Hecla.  Here  the 
ice  was  very  little  thawed,  although  we  had  seen 
the  first  of  September.  The  coast  on  each  side 
was  bare  and  barren  ;  scarcely  a  flower  had  put 
forth  its  leaves,  and  most  desolate  was  the  prospect. 
A  few  deer  were  here  and  there  gathering  the 
scanty  crop  of  moss  that  grew  between  the  rocks. 
The  remains  of  one  Esquimaux  circle  was  all  the 
proof  we  could  observe  of  this  rugged  shore  having 
been  inhabited,  and  that  had  evidently  been  long 
a  ruin,  for  it  was  half  buried  in  moss. 

**  A  number  of  little  islands  lay  scattered  about, 
and  parties  from  our  ship  were  industrious  in  ex- 
ploring them,  as  well  as  in  ascertaining  the  state 
of  the  ice.  The  result  of  all  was  that  there  was  no 
part  of  the  strait  where  the  ice  was  not  perfectly 
unbroken,  except  the  part  we  now  were  in,  in 
which,  alas!  we  were  becoming  daily  more  and 
more  beset. 

**  Determined  to  persevere  to  the  very  utmost, 
a  party  was  despatched  to  reach,  if  possible,  the 
termination  of  the  strait.  They  walked  along  the 
coast  as  much  as  sixty  miles,  and  returned  with 
this  intelligence,  that  they  could  perceive  no  ter- 
mination, but  that  one  unbroken  sea  of  ice  lay  be- 
fore them,  as  far  as  they  could  discern.  We  all 
now  felt  sure  that  this  then  was  the  long  sought 
opening  into  the  Polar  Sea,  and  to  have  discovered 
this  was  very  satisfactory,  but  when  could  we  ven- 
ture to  hope  that  it  would  be  navigable  ?  Certain- 
ly not  this  year ;  for  we  were  already  battered 
about  and  blocked  up  by  shoals  of  ice,  though  wc 
could  only  hope  to  make  our  way  a  few  days  longer. 
For  the  present  year,  therefore,  adieu  to  all 


(; 


t  ■< 


vN 


N. 


# 


190 


NORTHERN   REGION?. 


our  hopes  of  immortalizing  our  names  by  this  grand 
discovery  ;  at  all  events,  we  were  in  hopes  of  get- 
ting to  the  north  a  little,  and  feeling  our  way  in 
that  direction.  But  no ;  we  were  disappointed  on 
all  sides,  and  all  our  hopes  now  centered  in  being 
able  to  leave  a  scene  of  such  utter  desolation  be- 
fore the  second  wmter  set  in. 

"  Happily  we  just  accomplished  this,  for  had  we 
been  delayed  many  hours  we  could  not  have  done 
it.  After  a  variety  of  adventures  so  similar  to  those 
we  before  experienced  in  navigating  the  icy  soa 
that  I  need  not  relate  them  to  you,  we  anchored 
near  to  Igloolik,  in  which  station  we  determined  to 
pass  the  winter,  whose  early  approach  filled  us 
with  dismal  feelings^ 

**  Our  friends  at  Igloolik  had  already  taken  pos- 
session of  their  bone  or  winter  huts,  where  I  paid 
them  a  visit,  though  I  own  it  was  with  repugnance 
that  I  crossed  the  sloppy  puddle  at  the  door,  to 
Crawl  in  upon  my  hands  and  knees,  and  encounter 
the  horrible  smells  withm.'* 

Charles.  Ah  !  my  dear  uncle,  you  would  re- 
gret now  the  clean  snow  huts  of  your  acquaintance 
at  Winter  Island  f 

*^  If  you  will  allow  me,  Charles,  to  finish  my  de- 
scription of  these  bone  huts,  I  will  then  introduce 
you  into  some  fresh-water  ice  ones,  which  you  will 
acknowledge  to  be  far  more  beautiful  than  either. 

"  These  bone  houses  have  no  roof,  but  a  weath- 
er-proof transparent  skin  covers  the  top,  and  admits 
sufficient  light  at  the  sanie  time  that  it  excludes 
the  air.  I  entered,  as  you  may  remember,  upon 
all-fours,  and  judge  of  my  surprise  on  finding  the 
feet  of  the  inhabitants  above  my  head.  It  contain- 
ed several  families,  and  each  family  occupied  a 
liigh  bench.     The  slope  up  to  each  bench  wm 


\ 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


101 


i^ndorcd  so  slippery  by  lumps  of  melted  walrus 
flesh  and  other  liquids,  that  an  old  man  like  myself 
had  some  difficulty  in  gratifying  his  curiosity  by 
climbing  up.  A  seal's  skin  curtain  was  carefully 
pinned  up  at  the  back  of  each  family,  to  conceal 
the  sooty  wall ;  for,  singular  as  it  may  appear,  these 
people,  otherwise  surrounded  by  dirt,  cannot  en- 
dure soot.  I  had  observed  before  when  I  visited 
them,  that  the  slightest  mark  of  soot  on  their  fin- 
gers or  on  mine  was  carefully  wiped  off  with  a 
feather  wet  in  their  mouths. 

*'  There  are  not  bone  huts  enough  to  contain  all 
the  Esquimaux  in  Igloolik,  and  a  number  of  ice 
huts  were  interspersed  throughout  the  village. 
These  were  built  as  we  should  build  our  stone 
houses.  Slabs  of  ice  were  plaistered  together  by 
mortar  made  of  snow.  They  were  octagonal,  or 
eight-sided;  sometimes  finished  with  a  dome  like 
the  snow  houses,  and  sometunes  covered  with  skins 
in  the  fashion  ofthe  bone  huts.  The  transparen- 
cy is  so  great,  that  as  you  stand  outside  you  can 
with  little  trouble  distinguish  the  inhabitants  from 
one  another  :  a  number  of  young  puppies  lay  com- 
fortably in  boxes  made  of  the  same  beautiful  ma- 
terial, and  looked  as  if  placed  for  a  show  in  glass 
cases. 

**  In  my  various  visits  to  the  huts,  I  could  gener- 
ally be  accommodated  with  a  ride  in  an  Esquimaux 
sledge ;  but  as  I  found  a  present  was  always  ex- 
pected, it  became  rather  an  expensive  carriage 
to.  me.  The  boldness  ofthe  natives  in  venturing 
upon  the  ice  to  the  ships  was  beyond  every  thing. 
Long  before  the  ice  would  bear  them  with  any  de- 
gree of  safety,  men,  women,  and  children  would 
isome  sliding  along  to  our  great  consternation. 

^*  From  Ooyarra  we  learned  some  curious  facts 


\ 


192 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


I 


about  the  annatkos  or  conjurers ;  and  it  came  out 
that  Toule-mak,  my  fellow  traveller,  was  a  regular 
annatko.  I  was  not  long  in  persuading  him  to  ex* 
hibit  me  a  little  specimen  of  his  art ;  and  I  will 
try  to  recollect  the  particulars  of  the  scene,  which 
was  truly  ludicrous.  His  old  wife  alone  was  in 
the  room,  which  was  darkened.  A  chaunt  was 
begun  by  the  sorcerer  ;  his  wife  began  to  sing  Am- 
na-aya.  Toule-mak  then  turned  himself  round 
and  round,  and  calling  for  Toonga,  his  patron 
spirit,  to  come,  snorted  and  puffed  like  a  walrus. 
Then  the  loud  voice  ceased,  and,  in  a  smothered 
tone  he  contrived  it  so  that  it  seemed  as  if  he  was 
going  farther  and  farther  off,  till  it  stopped  alto- 
gether. The  old  dame  then  told  me  gravely  that 
lie  was  gone  down  into  the  sea,  and  would  send 
Toonga  up  to  us.  At  length  a  distant  blowing 
and  a  different  tone  of  voice  was  heard.  *  This  is 
Toonga,'  said  the  old  woman. 

'^  I  asked  several  questions  from  this  would-be 
spirit,  and  was  answered  by  two  thumps  on  the 
deck,  which  the  old  lady  said  was  favourable.  A 
hollow  voice  was  then  heard,  mingled  with  groans, 
hissings,  and  gabblings,  like  a  turkey.  The  old 
lady  sang  still  louder,  and  as  -1  concluded  that  it 
was  all  to  terrify  me,  I  cried  out,  *  Oh !  I  am  so  k 
frightened !'  this  set  them  a-goirig  still  more  fu- 
riously, till  the  poor  spirit  was  tired  and  begged 
to  retire ;  Toule-mak  then  with  a  yell  announced 
his  return,  with  two  heaps  of  deer-skin  stripes  fas- 
tened to  his  dress  behind,  which  he  declared 
Toonga  sewed  on  when  he  was  below. 

**  These  kind  of  exhibitions  are  not  I  fancy  very 
frequent,  and  are  generally  performed  in  order  to 
cure  some  sick  person.    There  are  no  less  than 


> 


iNORTIlERN  REGIONS. 


100 


ten  familiar  spirits  with  whom  Toulc-mak  professes 
to  hold  this  kind  of  communication. 

**  But  though  these  poor  people  have  no  religious 
worship,  they  are  not  idolaters,  and  their  notions 
of  a  future  state  are  very  straight  forward.  There 
are  two  places  to  which  they  believt;  the  souls  of 
the  good  go,  heaven,  and  the  centre  of  the  earth  ; 
the  first  is  for  those  who  have  been  killed  by  bears, 
walruses,  or  any  other  animal ;  the  second  is  di- 
vided into  three,  the  lowest  of  which  is  a  place  of 
perfect  happiness.  . 

"Winter  orders  were  again  given,  and  every 
preparation  made  as  before :  our  observatory  was 
built,  and  messengers  six  times  a-day  were  appoint- 
ed to  keep  up  regular  communications  between 
the  ships.  We  depended  upon  our  new  e?quain- 
tances  at  Igloolik,  for  our  amusement  during  the 
long  period  of  darkness  which  we  must  look  for« 
ward  to,  for  you  must  remember,  that  we  had 
moved  our  station  several  degrees  farther  north 
than  the  winter  before. 

"  It  was  not  long  before  a  few  of  our  old  friends 
at  Winter  isle,  came  to  visit  their  relations  at  Ig- 
loolik, and  well  pleased  were  we  to  see  one  another 
again.  Tagorlat  was  among  the  number  of  these 
visiters,  and  was  truly  happy  at  once  again  coming 
to  our  ships.  Her  poor  idiot  child  had  died  upon 
the  road,  and  the  whole  party  had  undergone  great 
hardships. 

**  And  now,  Charles,  you  should  have  seen  us 
sporting  our  handsome  team  of  dogs.  I  myself 
drove  eleven  fine  creatures.  I  purchased  them 
from  the  Esquimaux,  to  whose  credit  it  must  be 
related,  that  they  would  not  sell  me  these  valuables 
animals,  until  they  had  bargained  that  none  should 

17 


m 


mti 


;'!"-»ir  :'■■'> 


194 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


be  killed.  It  had  happened,  to  the  disgrace  of  the 
'  Kabloona,'  that  once  or  twice  the  dog  had  been 
killed  as  soon  as  bought,  and  in  one  instance  the 
heartless  sailor  not  only  killed  the  dog,  but  asked 
the  owner  to  assist  him  to  skin  it.  For  this  pur- 
pose, he  put  his  knife  into  his  hand,  but  the  Esqui- 
maux threw  it  from  him  indignantly,  and  walked 
away  without  speaking  a  word." 

'^  I  trust  the  sailor  felt  ashamed  of  his  inhuman- 
ity," cried  Charles,  indignantly.  **  It  was  a  strik- 
ing lesson  to  us  all,  and  1  believe  we  had  not  before 
given  credit  to  the  Esquimaux  for  having  such 
noble  or  strong  feelings." 

**  We  were  present  at  a  marriage  between  young 
Toolooak  from  W  inter  island,  and  a  damsel  of  the 
Igloolik  tribe.  The  ceremony  is  simply  this.  The 
bridegroom  enters  the  hut  of  the  bride,  and  seats 
himself  down  beside  her,  and  is  from  that  moment 
lord  and  master  of  herself  and  her  hut.  The  bride 
was  fifteen,  the  bridegroom  two  years  older.  Both 
looked  very  sheepish  and  shy  when  they  came  next 
day  to  visit  Captain  Parry.  He  made  some  pre- 
sents as  a  matter  of  course. 

**  Toule-mak,  the  conjurer,  was  a  knowing  man. 
One  day  he  went  into  Captain  Lyon's  cabin  :  *  I 
have  had  a  dream,'  said  he,  *  which  was,  that  a 
spirit  in  the  shape  of  a  Lyon  came  and  brought 
me  an  axe.' 

"  *  I  too  have  had  a  dream,'  answered  the  Cap- 
tain i  *  1  dreamt  that  an  old  fellow  was  turned  out  of 
my  cabin  for  being  a  beggar.'  This  last  dream 
was  instantly  realized  ;  and  the  conjurer  took  the 
joke  very  good-humouredly,  though  he  had  to  walk 
upon  the  cold  deck,  instead  of  sitting  by  a  good  fire* 

**  We  bade  adieu  to  the  sun  on  the  second  of 
D^ember,  arid  much  as  you  wish  to  become  a 


t 
c 

I 


■  s 


\ 


\ 


\ 


XORTHERN  REGIONS. 


id5 


bold  adventurer,  Charles,  I  cannot  help  hoping 
that  you  may  never  know  the  melancholy  feeling 
of  loosing  sight  of  that  noble  luminary  altogether." 

Tom.  I  think  you  have  no  reason  to  complain, 
uncle;  for  you  had  no  illness  either  among  you  or 
the  Esquimaux.  I  have  not  heard  you  even  men- 
tion your  doctor's  name. 

"  Do  not,  Tom,  be  in  too  great  a  hurry ;  I  was 
just  going  to  tell  you  of  a  cure  which  I  performed 
myself  upon  a  native  who  came  to  me  with  a  fit  of 
lumbago.  He  begged  I  would  give  him  some 
soap,  for  his  wife  to  wash  his  back  with.  This 
was  done  in  my  presence,  by  his  good  lady,  with 
an  injunction  from  me  to  repeat  the  washing  every 
day  till  the  soap  was  done.  I  then  held  my  musi- 
cal snuff-box  to  his  back  for  a  short  time,  and  the 
cure  was  completed.  After  many  thanks,  and  the 
offer  of  his  wife's  boots,  he  returned  home  quite 
well. 

"  You  may  laugh  at  this  story;  but,  simple  as 
it  was,  the  natives  are  not  utterly  devoid  of  dis- 
crimination. Toule-mak  one  day  gave  me  a  very 
striking  lesson.  He  came  into  my  cabin,  he  slept 
with  me,  and  he  made  a  point  of  eating  of  every 
thing  which  I  eat,  and  of  doing  whatever  I  did. 
During  the  visit  he  said  to  me,  *  When  you  give 
me  any  thing,  I  eat,  and  I  say  very  good  :  when 
the  Kabloona  come  to  see  us  they  turn  up  their 
noses,  and  when  we  ask  them  to  eat,  they  say  *  ve- 
ry bad.'  Now  pray,  my  little  niece,  to  whom  would 
you  give  the  prize  of  good  manners  ?" 

Louisa.  Your  question  puzzles  me,  uncle  ; 
for  though  I  think  you  might  have  avoided  turning 
up  your  nose,  or  saying  any  thing  to  offend,  yet  I 
cannot  think  you  could  very  well  have  sat  down 
and  partaken  of  their  messes. 


\ 


19G 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


<*  Habit,  however,  I  belieye,  Louisa,  makes  our 
food  nearly  as  repugnant  to  them,  although  it  cer- 
tainly cannot  be  quite  so  disgusting. 

"However,  I  determined,  if  possible,  to  profit 
by  the  lesson,  and  I  soon  after  paid  Toule-mak  a 
visit,  with  the  intention  of  staying  all  night,  to  see 
something  more  of  his  incantations. 

'*  My  politeness  was  now  put  to  the  proof;  I 
found  the  family  at  a  sociable  meal,  over  a  full  and 
smoking  pot  of  seal's  flesh,  and  I  sat  down  with 
them,  and  eat  like  one  of  them.  I  next  was  called 
upon  to  partake  of  a  frozen  slice  of  raw  walrus. 
I  even  forced  myself  to  eat  of  this,  and  received  in 
turn  the  thanks  and  praises  of  the  family,  particu- 
larly as  they  all  declared  that  they  knew  the  Ka- 
bloona  were  not  fond  of  raw  meat.  Toule-mak,  my 
host,  was  so  pleased,  that  he  promised  me  a  visit 
from  Toonga  as  a  reward.  I  have  before  describ- 
ed to  you  the  ceremony  of  calling  up  this  spirit,-^ 
and  it  was  done  in  the  same  manner  this  time. 
When  this  was  over,  I  had  a  new  seal's  skin  spread 
for  my  bed,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  family,  who 
were  arranged  in  a  similar  manner  about  the  floor, 
I  laid  myself  down  to  rest. 

**  Our  breakfast  lasted  at  least  four  hours,  the 
hut  being  constantly  filled  by  fresh  comers,  among 
whom  was  my  old  friend  Kettle.  Toule-mak  im- 
mediately addressed  him  by  the  name  of  thief,  when 
to  my  great  amusement,  the  old  fellow  sat  down, 
and  gave  a  most  humourous  account  of  his  robbing 
*  Pari,'  as  he  called  Captain  Pafry,  at  which  the 
whole  party  laughed  immoderately.  Thus  ended 
jiiy  visit  to  the  huts,  and  as  if  the  natives  had  made 
a  resolution  of  behaving  well  to  me,  it  was  the  only 
time  that  I  remember  visiting   them  when  the 


.litikSu.V' 


.!£.    ^ 


;». 


'1„ 


r.rr^ 


\M4 


1^ 


'' ; 


/Wy^ 


mm» 


!M3r 


m 


J97 


mil 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


197 


word  '  Pilletay,*  (give  me)  was  not  repeatedly  ut- 
tered. 

**  Our  second  Christmas  day  arrived,  and  found 
us  all  in  good  spirits,  and  able  to  enjoy  some  ex- 
cellent old  English  roast  beef,  which  had  been 
hanging  a  year  and  a  half,  and  would  have  kept 
still  longer.  This  second  year,  however,  tried  the 
best  men  among  us  :  and  those  who  had  suffered 
but  little  the  first  were  forced  to  confess  themselves 
weaker  in  this.  I,  among  the  number,  was  oblig- 
ed to  add  considerably  to  my  clothing,  and  we 
all  suffered  much  from  cold  feet. 

**  About  this  time  I  heard  some  curious  anec- 
dotes of  bears  from  a  very  intelligent  Esquimaux 
named  Ooyarra.  To  hunt  and  watch  them  used 
to  be  a  favourite  amusement  of  his,  when  young ; 
and  he  boasted  of  having  killed  five  in  his  life 
time. 

**  Two  walruses  and  their  cubs  were  one  day 
lying  asleep  on  a  piece  of  broken  ice,  when  a  bear 
was  seen  to  swim  slyly  up.  He  crept  gently  to  the 
top  of  some  lumps  of  ice,  behind  the  walruses,  and 
loosening  a  block  with  his  nose  and  paws,  he  roll- 
ed it,  till  it  fell  upon  one  of  the  old  ones,  which  it 
killed.  The  other  walrus  and  its-  cub  rolled  into 
the  water,  and  the  bear  then  descended  and  feasted 
very  leisurely  upon  the  dead  walrus  and  its  poor 
cub,  which  had  no  power  of  escaping  after  the 
death  of  its  parent. 

**  The  bear  has  recourse  to  stratagems  almost  a^ 
singular  in  catching  the  ooghiok,  which  is  a  species 
of  the  large  seal,  which,  being  of  a  timid  nature, 
always  lie  close  to  the  edge  of  a  piece  of  ice,  in  or- 
der that  they  may,  by  one  roll,  get  into  the  sea,  in 
which  they  are  safe  from  the  persecutions  of  their 

.  17* 


rf- 


m 


iiM  ii 


*  ?:r 


vm,t 


m,: 


103 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


enemy.  They  are  restless  creatures,  sleeping  in 
short  naps,  and  rolling  their  head  from  side  to  side, 
something  like  your  little  brother  Charles,  when  he 
gets  himself  to  sleep.  And  they  do  as  many  other 
wild  animals  do,  turn  the  way  from  which  the  wind 
blows,  fancying  that  there  is  an  enemy  coming  from 
that  quarter.  The  bear,  when  he  spies  one  of 
these  animals,  swims  up  to  him  in  an  opposite  di- 
rection to  the  wind.  He  goes,  in  short  dives,  and 
contrives  his  last  dive  so  that  he  pops  out  of  the 
water  just  close  to  the  seal,  which,  poor  thing,  sees 
him  coming,  and  has  no  means  of  escape  left.  If 
it  rolls  into  the  water,  it  falls  into  its  enemy's  clutch- 
es ;  and  if  it  lies  still,  the  bear  makes  a  spring, 
and  fastens  his  destructive  jaws  upon  him. 

**  My  attention  was  now  much  occupied  with 
visiting  the  hut  of  Takkalikkita,  whose  wife  and 
child  were  dangerously  ill.  The  cold  and  damp 
5^ituation  in  which  we  found  them,  induced  Captain 
Lyon  to  take  them  into  his  cabir>  where  the  poor 
woman  died.  The  first  care  of  poor  Takkalikkita, 
after  the  death  of  his  wife,  was  to  dress  the  corpse 
exactly  the  same  as  if  she  had  been  living ;  it  then 
was  sewed  up  in  a  hammock,  with  the  face  lefl 
open,  by  the  husband 's  desire.  The  poor  man  was 
greatly  relieved  when  we  told  him  the  body  should 
be  taUen  to  the  grave  in  a  sledge  drawn  by  men, 
instead  of  dogs ;  for  he  related,  to  our  great  hor- 
ror, an  instance  in  which  the  dogs  had  actually 
eaten  a  part  of  the  dead  body,  while  they  were 
taking  it  to  its  place  of  interment.  The  dogs  were 
carefully  tied  up,  and  I  went  with  the  party  on 
shore,  where  a  grave  about  a  foot  deep  was  dug. 
The  body  was  placed  on  its  back  in  this  grave,  and 
.5%e  husband  cut  the  stitches  which  had  fastened  the 
li^mtnock :  and  though  he  did  not  throw  it  open, 


/ 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


199 


he  made  us  dnderstand  that  he  wished  it  to  be  left 
unconfined.  We  then  covered  the  body  up,  and 
lefl  it*  Takkalikkita  staid  behind  to  address  a 
few  words  to  his  departed  wife,  and  then  followed 
us." 

Louisa.  And  what  became  of  the  poor  baby, 
uncle  ? 

"  Ah,  poor  little  thing,  I  must  tell  you  that  the 
father  had  appeared  to  us,  as  far  as  we  could  un* 
derstand  him,  to  wish  that  the  child  should  be  bu- 
ried alive  aside  of  its  mother ;  and,  I  believe,  hor- 
rible as  this  seems,  that  many  of  these  northern 
people  fancy  that  an  unweaned  child  cannot  live 
many  days  after  the  death  of  its  mother,  and  there- 
fore, that  it  is  kinder,  by  burying  it  alive,  to  save 
it  from  the  few  days  of  suffering  that  it  might 
linger  through. 

■*  When  we  returned  from  the  burial  we  found 
thatthe  elder  daughter,  Shegar,  had  been  nursing 
the  poor  little  baby  her  sister,  and  had  marked  upon 
her  forehead  a  spot  of  soot  as  a   sign  the  child 
must  die.  The  father  seemed  convinced  of  this  too, 
and  1  had  much  difficulty  to  persuade  him  to  let 
me  attempt  to  feed  the  child  with  some  soup." 
Louisa.     And  did  it  live,  uncle  ? 
'^  You  shall  hear,  Louisa.  After  much  persua- 
sion, Takkalikkita  left  me  to  do  what  I  liked  with 
the  baby,  saying,  that  I  might  take  it  home  to  my 
own  country,  for  if  it  lived  or  if  it  died,  he  should 
never  consider  it  his  own  child  any  longer.     His 
affection  for  it,  however,  was  strong,  for,  in  the 
middle  of  the  night,  I  was  disturbed  by  loud  sighs ; 
and,  looking  up,  I  saw  the  poor  fellow  standing 
mournfully  gazing  upon  his  poor  child.     I  got  up 
and  entreated  him  to  be  composed,  and  lie  down. 
He  did  so ;  and,  when  I  returned  to  look  at  the 


!?;^ 


\ 


\ 


:^00 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


child,  I  found  that  she  was  dead,  and  that  the  poor 
father  had  perceived  it.  Takkalikkita  then  told 
me  that  the  child  had  seen  its  mother,  who  had 
beckoned  for  it  to  come  to  heaven,  and  that  he 
was  not  surprised  the  child  had  died,  for  that  in- 
fants  never  survive  their  mothers,  and  Shegar's 
black  spot  had  made  its  death  certain. 

*'  The  poor  little  babe  we  buried  in  the  snow  ; 
and  I  went  with  Takkalikkita  a  day  or  two  after 
to  visit  the  grave  of  his  wife.  [  observed  him  look 
carefully  all  around  in  the  snow ;  and  seeing  no 
foot-marks,  he  muttered  to  himself  *  no  wolves — 
no  foxes. — Thank  you — thank  you.'  Then  he 
began  to  talk  to  his  wife,  and  told  her  which  way 
the  v\md  blew.  Then  he  began  a  kind  of  song; 
Jind,  then  suddenly  breaking  off,  he  said  *  takba,' 
which  means  '  enough,'  and  walked  away  as  fast 
as  he  could.         ^       ,    ^ 

"  This  inoffensive  quiet  family  was  now  sent 
back  to  their  hut  with  m.my  presents,  and  not  till 
they  had  gained  our  esteem  by  their  gentleness. 
Before  I  have  done  with  my  friend  Takkalikkita, 
I  must,  however,  tell  you,  that  although  he  married 
two  more  wives  before  the  end  of  the  month,  he 
continued  to  visit  daily  the  grave  of  his  first  wife. 

"  There  was  much  sickness  in  the  huts,  and 
many  of  the  natives  had  died  since  we  had  been 
there  ;  and  so  carelessly  do  the  Esquimaux  bury 
the  dead,  that  the  body  of  another  man  had  been 
almost  entirely  eaten  by  the  dogs. 

"  A  widow  named  Kagha  was  so  dreadfully  ill 
and  miserable,  that  she  too  was  removed  to  the 
Hecla's  cabin  to  be  nursed ;  but  her  ill  temper 
gave  us  all  a  dislike  to  her :  she  never  spoke  but  to 
complain,  that  as  many  presents  had  not  been  given 
fo  her  as  to  the  other  invalids.      As  long  as  she 


^ixgr 


% 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


201 


was  ill,  great  attention  and  care  was  shown  her, 
and  when  a  little  better,  she  was  removed  to  tho 
hut  of  a  relation  of  her  own,  who  promised  to  take 
care  of  her;  and,  though  we  clothed  her  with 
blankets  and  a  new  suit  of  clothes,  she  kept  grum^ 
bling  on  to  the  last,  and  seemed  determined  that 
we  should  never  have  a  better  opinion  of  her. 

*'  But,  attending  to  the  sick,  nursing  them,  or 
comforting  them,  is  not  among  the  good  qualities 
of  the  Esquimaux  ;  and  Kagha,  though  surrounded 
by  relations,  was  soon  again  reduced  to  such  a 
state  of  misery  and  filth,  that  Captain  Parry  had 
her  removed  to  the  hospital.  Her  friends  had  left 
her  all  alone,  shut  up  in  a  small  snow-hut.  One 
wick  of  her  lamp  was  burning ;  and  her  hair  was 
frozen  to  the  bed-place  in  a  quantity  of  blood 
which  she  had  spit  up.  All  attempts  to  recover 
her  were  useless,  and  she  died  soon  after  her  re- 
moval. She  was  actually  starved  to  death,  although 
she  had  a  number  of  relations  near  her,  whom  we 
discovered  had  never  been  to  her,  or  supplied  her 
with  any  kind  of  food  since  she  had  left  the  ships. 
This  fact,  although  true,  is  almost  too  shocking  to 
believe — it  showed  utter  selfishness  and  insensibili- 
ty to  each  others'  sufferings  in  these  Esquimaux. 
The  body  of  Kagha  was  not  removed  from  the  ship 
for  two  days,  but  not  a  creature  made  the  slight- 
est inquiry  about  her,  or  seemed  to  care  or  know 
when  she  was  buried." 

Tom.  I  should  imagine,  uncle,  that  the  ill 
temper  of  this  woman  had  prevented  them  caring^ 
about  her. 

**  It  might  possibly  increase  their  insensibility  ; 
but  it  was  not  the  cause  of  it,  as  I  have  seen  a  va- 
riety of  instances  of  it,  some  of  which  I  have  not 
mentioned  to  you. 


.% 


JlM 


i'  r 


:cJ«le?:. 


202 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


**  Having  heard  of  a  village  about  twenty  miles 
off,  I  drove  over  to  visit  it,  and  found  a  party  of 
twenty-eight  Esquimaux  living  in  six  small  snow 
huts.  Plenty  reigned  here  ;  and  orie  young  man 
had  made  himself  so  ill  with  eating,  that  I  took 
out  my  knife  and  bled  him,  ordering  at  the  same 
time  his  mother  not  to  let  him  taste  any  meat  for 
many  days,  and  to  let  him  have  nothing  but  soup. 
The  youth  looked  very  surly,  and  seemed  to  con- 
sider me  as  his  murderer. 

*'  My  reception  at  the  most  miserable  of  the  huts 
was  truly  hospitable,  and  compensated  for  the  un- 
comfortableness  of  the  place,  whose  snowy  roof 
kept  dripping  down  upon  us-  A.s  for  food,  they 
would  have  stuffed  me  if  I  had  been  inclined  ;  and 
I  in  return  took  the  baby,  who  was  covered  by  a 
fox-skin,  sewed  up  like  a  jacket,  and  singing  all 
manner  of  baby  songs,  quite  won  the  hearts  of  its 
parents.  I  slept  in  this  small  hut,  with  the  lamp 
close  to  my  nose,  and  a  young  seal  for  my  pillow. 

**  It  was  with  delight  we  perceived  our  t^ccond 
spring  returning,  but  it  did  not  find  us  all  in  such 
good  health  as  the  former  one.  Mr.  Elder,  the 
Hecla's  mate,  who  was  making  this  voyage  for  a 
third  time,  died  of  the  dropsv  after  a  few  days* 
confinement.  It  was  with  difficulty  we  could  dig 
him  a  grave,  as  the  earth  was  still  so  hard  as  to 
resist  the  stroke  of  our  pick-axes.  The  funeral 
service  was  read  over  his  grave,  and  two  volleys 
fired. 

**  And  now  a  general  breaking-up  was  about  to 
take  place.  The  ice  was  thawing ;  the  Esquimaux 
were  driven  out  of  their  snow-huts,  which  were 
quickly  disappearing  from  the  face  of  the  earth ; 
the  scenes  of  so  much  merriment,  so  much  feast- 
ing, and  latterly  of  so  much  illness,  were  now 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


203 


nearly  levelled  with  the  ground,  without  leaving  a 
trace  behind 

**  In  this  general  movement,  our  plans  for  the 
future  were  to  be  determined  upon ;  and,  as  wc 
had  had  plenty  of  time  to  talk  them  over  during 
the  winter  months,  this  did  not  take  long. 

**  It  was  found  im  possible  for  both  ships  to  proceed 
on  the  voyage  of  discovery,  as  the  provisions  would 
not  hold  out  for  another  winter.  It  was  decided, 
therefore,  that  the  Hecla  should  return  home  as 
soon  as  the  ice  permitted,  and  that  the  Fury 
should  continue  sailing  northward.  Captain  Parry 
bravely  resolving  that,  as  long  as  he  could,  he 
would  continue  his  search  for  this  much-wished- 
for  western  passage. 

**  Before  the  ice  broke  up  then,  we  had  much  to 
do  ;  our  two  fine  teams  of  dogs  and  our  sledges 
effected  the  removal  of  all  the  Hecla's  stores  to 
the  Fury.  These  fine  animals  would  drag  an  ama- 
zingly heavy  load  at  the  rate  of  a  yard  a  minute 
from  one  shipto  the  other ;  even  the  heavy  anchors 
were  conveyed  in  this  manner. 

**  A  stray  Esquimaux  or  two  occasionally  visited 
the  ships  till  we  left  the  place ;  and,  one  widow, 
whose  name  will  amuse  you,  if  you  can  make  it 
out,  Ang-ma-loo-too-ing-a,  walked  fifteen  miles 
to  see  us.  She  was  very  pretty,  and  quite  con- 
scious of  it.  As  I  sat  at  my  table  reading,  and 
seeming  to  take  no  notice  of  her,  I  saw  her  go  to  the 
glass,  look  in  it,  and  put  her  head  and  face  in 
pretty  attitudes,  and  smile  to  show  her  teeth, 
which  she  rubbed  with  a  piece  of  paper.  She  ap- 
peared quite  charmed  with  her  fine  black  eyes, 
and  at  last  could  refrain  no  longer ;  but,  coming 
up  to  me,  said,  *  O !  how  pretty  my  eyes  are.' 

^*  Another  man,  with  his  wife,  came  to  see  iisv 


■  ^'ir 


m 


'ij,. 


.l4i: 


204 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


This  man  had  received  many  presents,  and,  among 
others,  about  six  shirts,  which  he  wore  all  at  once, 
the  cleanest  at  the  top.  He  was  a  well-made  tall 
fellow,  and  some  of  us  gave  him  a  suit  of  English 
clothes,  in  which  he  strutted  about  quite  proud.  His 
wife  too  made  him  a  green  baize  great- coat,  with 
a  white  collar  and  cuffs,  so  that  he  thought  him- 
self a  *  Kabloona'  complete.  He  was  an  intelli- 
gent  man,  and  told  me  many  things  which  I  had 
not  heard  before,  and  some  of  which  I  would  wil- 
lingly have  disbelieved,  had  not  they  been  confirm- 
ed afterwards  by  Toule-mak. 

**  Some  years  ago  he  told  me  that  there  had 
been  a  grievous  fumine,  and  that  one  band  of  Es- 
quimaux had  attacked  another,  and,  horrid  to  tell, 
eaten  the  dead  bodies  of  their  enemies. 

*'  He  told  me,  likewise,  in  some  of  the  tribes  of 
Esquimaux,  murders  are  not  uncommon,  but  that 
a  man  is  never  killed  unless  he  is  alone  and  asleep. 
His  relations  never  revenge  his  death  immediately, 
but  wait  for  some  opportunity,  which  it  is  difficult 
to  find,  for  the  murderer  never  lies  down  to  sleep 
when  others  do,  but  he  wanders  about  in  the  night, 
and  sleeps  in  the  day  when  all  his  neighbours  arc 
about,  and  he  is  therefore  in  no  danger. 

'*  Toule-mak  and  his  wife  came  to  take  leave  of 
me,  but,  as  I  found  they  began  to  beg  for  presents, 
I  gave  them  nothing,  which  made  them  very  an*- 
gry,  especially  when  they  saw  me  load  otheis  who 
came  at  the  same  time,  but  did  not  beg.  Toule- 
mak,  however,  politely  desired  me  to  give  his  com- 
pliments to  the  Englishmen's  conjurer  (meaning 
the  king,)  and  I  was  directed  to  deliver  this  po- 
lite message  to  him :  '  Toule-mak  speaks  King 
George  the  Fourth  welly  well,  I  taank  you.' 

**  Having  taken  leave  of  these  amusing  people,  I 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


:>05 


m 


ihall  cut  short 


which  1  fear  has  al- 


y  narrative 
ready  been  rather  tedious. 

**  We  made  various  excursions  up  the  country, 
hut  saw  nothing  very  new  ;  hut,  notwithstandinjs: 
our  daily  hopes  of  «fetting  free  from  the  ice,  and 
leaving  Igloolik,  we  v  ere  actually  detained  on  the 
same  spot  till  the  middle  of  August,  having  been 
there  nearly  eleven  months. 

**  This  lonpr  detention  caused  a  considerable  al- 
teration in  our  plan».  The  health  of  our  crew  was 
not  as  it  had  been  at  the  beginning  of  the  spring ; 
and  Captain  Parry  felt  so  sure  that  he  should  risk 
the  lives  of  many  of  his  men  by  continuing  his 
voyage  and  s|)ending  another  winter  in  the  arctic 
l^egion^,  that  he  resolved  that  the  Fury  should  re- 
turn as  well  as  the  Hecla,  as  soon  as  cither  could 
he  released. 

**  The  happy  day  at  length  arrived.  We  broke 
through  the  ice,  and  sailed  again  in  open  sea,  and 
took  a  final  leave  of  the  island  of  Igloolik,  which, 
though  an  insignificant  looking  island,  is  an  im- 
portant Esquimaux  establishment,  having  no  less 
than  four  villages  upon  it. 

**  After  a  dangerous  and  troublesome  voyaffe 
through  the  ice,  we  reached  the  coast  of  Winter 
Island,  our  old  station,  and  some  of  us  went  in 
boats  to  visit  the  shore.  The  graves  of  our  mess- 
mates remained  undisturbed  ;  and  radishes,  mus- 
tard, and  cress,  and  onions,  had  survived  the  winter, 
sheltered  by  a  warm  covering  of  snow.  It  is  re- 
markable, too,  that  we  again  saw  the  aurora 
borealis  at  Winter  Island,  which  we  had  scarcely 
had  a  glimpse  of  all  the  time  we  had  been  at  ig- 
loolik. 

"  We  again  set  sail  on  the  1st  of  September, 

18 


<•. 


■■K-\ 


206 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


the  ice  and  fog  preventing  our  proceeding  rapidly- 
It  was  about  this  time  that  we  had  the  misfortune 
to  lc;5e  another  of  our  companions,  and  he  was 
deeply  regretted.  You  remember  the  name  of 
Mr.  Fife,  who  was  one  of  our  party  in  the  first  voy- 
age. He  had  been  long  ill  of  the  scurvy,  was  a 
stout  man,  and  had  got  very  fat  during  the  winter, 
and  had  used  hut  little  exercise.  He  had  a  dis- 
li  e,  too,  to  acids,  which  are  a  very  necessary  an- 
tidote to  the  scurvy. 

"  Our  ships  were  now  in  very  great  danger, 
having  never  encountered  more  terrific  ice-bergs, 
and  we  were  in  hourly  expectation  of  some  great 
disaster  to  the  ships.  We,  providentially,  escaped, 
however,  and  afterwards  had  a  very  speedy  voyage 
till  we  got  to  the  Shetland  Isles. 

"  We  landed  at  Lerwick,  and  an  old  sailor  like 
myself  has  seldom  experienced  such  feelings  as  at 
that  moment,  when,  after  an  absence  of  two  years 
and  a  half,  I  once  more  set  foot  upon  British  ground, 
among  my  own  countrymen,  and  heard  all  that 
had  happened  to  our  country  during  that  length  of 
time.  ' 

"  The  inhabitants  of  Lerwick  flocked  out  to  meet 
us  clothed  in  their  best  dresses,  and  we  landed 
amidst  their  cheers.  The  town  was  illuminaied 
at  night,  and  a  number  of  tar  barrels  burnt  in 
every  street.  Every  inhabitant  was  ready  with  his 
compliments,  and  every  door  was  hospitably  open- 
ed for  our  reception. 

"  On  Sunday,  we  all  attended  church,  and  the 
venerable  Mr.  Menzies  gavp  thanks  for  our  safe 
return  in  a  most  beautiful  prayer,  which  drev/  tears 
from  the  eyes  of  every  one  there,  who  seemed 
rather  as  if  they  were  rejoicing  for  the  return  of 
beloved  relations,  than  for  that  of  mere  strangers." 


XORTIIERN   REGIONS. 


207 


^iV  ■-*-■- 


PART  IV, 


CHAPTER  I. 


rii 


Surely,  uncle,  this  is  the  agg  of  adventure,'' 
said  Tom  one  morning,  as  he  entered  with  a  book 
under  his  arm,  "  and  I  think  you  will  agree  with 
me  when  I  tell  you  that  I  have  met  with  some  ad- 
ventures still  more  wonderful  than  yours." 

"  Well,  Tom,  let  us  heai  what  it  is,  for  in  re- 
turn for  my  long  stories,  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  be 
amused  with  some  fresh  adventures,  provided  they 
are,  like  my  own,  true."     . 

Tom.  What  do  you  think,  uncle,  of  a  man  tra- 
velling from  England,  through  Hussia,  across  the 
wilds  of  Siberia  to  Kamschatka,  the  very  remot- 
est extreme  of  Asia,  and  almost  entirely  on  foot, 
and  with  very  little  money  ? 

Uncle  Richard.  It  sounds  very  wonderful, 
and  wild  ;  what  can  have  been  the  motive  for  so 
extraordinary  an  enterprize,  Tom  f 

ToiM.  My  hero  was  Captain  Cochrane,  an  offi- 
cer in  the  British  Navy.  He  had  been  a  great 
traveller  before,  having  made  a  pedestrian  tour 
through  France,  Spain,  and  Portugal,  and  served 
in  the  West  Indies  for  ten  years.  This  gave  him, 
I  suppose,  a  love  of  travelling,  for  he  oifered  his 
services  to  government  to  explore  the  interior  of 
Africa,  in  search  of  the  source  of  the  river  Niger. 
For  some  reason  or  other,  it  seems  this  offer  was 
rejected,  and  he  was  so  bent  upon  enterprize,  that 


206 


ZS'ORTIIERN   REGIONS. 


lie  obtuiiicd  leave  of  absenec  for  two  years,  and  de- 
termined to  travel  absolutely  round  the  globc; 
traversing  Europe  in  the  first  place,  then  Asia, 
and  crossing  over  by  Behring's  Straits  to  proceed 
through  America  homewards.  And  this  nice  lit* 
tie  journey,  uncle,  he  resolved  to  undertake  on 
foot.     Now  what  do  you  think  of  the  scheme  f 

XJiNCLE  Richard*  I  think,  Tom,  it  was  as  glo- 
rious a  one  as  Charles,  in  his  most  boastful  mood, 
would  be  anxioi^s  to  undertake.  I  conclude,  how- 
ever, that  he  gave  up  a  part  of  it,  for  if  he  had 
crossed  over  to  America,  and  traversed  its  wilds, 
I  doubt  whether  he  would  have  lived  to  have  told 
the  tale;  but,  at  all  events,  Tom,  if  he  perform- 
ed half  of  what  he  intended  to  do,  I  shall  think 
him  a  bold  and  adventurous  fellow. 

''  I  should  like  to  hear  more  of  him,  but  his  books 
there  under  your  arm  look  formidable  to  a  sailor 
like  me,  who  am  better  pleased  when  talking  than 
when  reading;  so  suppose,  Tom,  you  undertake 
to  tell  mc  all  you  think  worth  remembering  of  his 
adventures,  and  I  will  promise  to  be  a  patient  listen* 
cr,as  well  as  Charles  here,  restless  fellow  as  he  is." 

Tom's  vanity  was  not  a  httle  gratified  at  beirn*' 
thought  capable  of  affording  amusement  to  his 
uncle,  and  therefore  when  evening  came,  it  was 
with  modest  pride  that  he  spread  out  his  maps 
and  began  his  narration. 

*'  With  the  determination  to  trace  the  shores  of 
the  Polar  sea  by  land^  along  the  coast  of  North 
America,  while  Captain  Parry,  and  you,  uncle, 
were  attempting  to  do  it  by  sea.  Captain  Cochrane 
left  England  in  the  year  1820.  He  filled  his  knap^ 
sack  with  every  thing  that  he  considered  requisite, 
added  to  a  few  papers  and  documents ;  and  witli 


r 


P 
ii 

L 

ci 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


209 


this  humble  equipment,  he  prepared  to  visit  the 
unknown  wilds  of  Asia  and  America. 

**  After  crossing  the  channel,  he  landed  at 
Dieppe,  and  pursued  his  walk  throu*^h  France, 
passing  through  Paris,  Nantz,  and  JVletz.  Enter- 
ing Germany,  he  passed  through  Frankfort  and 
Leipsic,  and  was  not  very  much  delighted  with 
cither  of  tlicse  two  cities. 

*'  He  left  Germany  without  regret,  and  entered 
Prussia,  where  the  good  roads  enabled  him  to  pro- 
ceed more  rapidly.  After  visiting  Berlin,  he  pro- 
'ceeded  through  Dantzio,  Konisgberg  and  Narva, 
and  reached  St.  Petersburg  at  the  end  of  April, 
not  having  been  quite  three  months  in  performing 
a  journey  of  1600  miles." 

Uncle  Richakd.  That  is  nearly  at  the  rate 
of  twenty  miles  a  day,  which,  for  so  long  a  con- 
tinuance, was  a  tolerable  performance,  and  I  must 
own,  excites  my  Curiosity  to  hear  more  of  this 
brave  Captain. 

Tom.  Captain  Cochrane  stayed  a  short  time  at 
St.  Petersburg,  and  obtained  from  the  Emperor 
Alexander  several  documents  which  might  be  ne- 
cessary for  his  safety  in  travelling  through  his  do- 
minions, and  particularly  in  Siberia,  which  is  so  re- 
mote from  the  seat  of  government.  With  his  knap- 
sack re-filled  by  the  kindness  of  the  English  resi- 
dents at  Petersburg,  he  once  more  quitted  a  home, 
and  he  could  not  avoid,  as  he  gave  a  last  look  at 
the  city,  reflecting  with  grif  ^  that  he  was  about  to 
quit  the  habitations  of  civilized  man,  and  enter  up- 
on the  abode  of  wild  beasts  or  savages. 

**  He  silently  reflected  upon  the  best  line  of 
conduct  to  adopt,  and  resolved  to  respect  the  feel- 
ings of  mankind  wherever  he  should  be,  to  trust 

J8* 


210 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


for  his  safety  to  their  humanity,  rather  than  to  his 
own  strength,  and  to  be  humble-minded  and  lowly. 

**  His  good  resolutions  were  soon  tried,  for  he  had 
not  proceeded  far  before  he  was  attacked  by  rob- 
bers, one  of  whom  dragged  him  into  a  wood  by  his 
collar,  and  the  other  pushed  him  on  with  the  point 
of  his  bayonet.  There  they  stripped  him,  and  tied 
him  to  a  tree,  and  after  insisting  upon  his  eating 
some  black  bread,  and  drinking  a  glass  of  rum, 
quietly  took  possession  of  all  his  clothes,  together 
with  the  contents  of  his  knapsack.  They  then 
made  oft',  and  a  boy  passing  soon  after,  released 
the  Captain  from  his  captivity,  who,  almost  naked, 
flung  his  empty  knapsaci^  over  his  back,  and  went 
on  in  this  manner,  till  he  was  a  hundred  miles  be- 
yond St.  Petersburg. 

'*  At  Novgorod,  the  Governor  supplied  him  with 
clothes,  and  promised  to  find  out  the  robbers,  and 
have  them  punished.  '  I  shall  be  in  Siberia  be- 
fore then,'  said  the  Captain. 

*'  From  Novgorod  to  Moscow,  his  journey  was 
very  agreeable,  the  peasantry,  though  in  a  servile 
and  wretched  state,  were  hospitable,  and  provi- 
sions were  cheap. 

"  He  stayed  but  a  short  time  to  admire  this  won- 
*'derful  city,  and  with  another  fit  of  low  spirits,  he 
took  leave  of  his  friends  there,  and  again  set  forth 
upon  his  pilgrimage.  He  reached  Nishney  Nov- 
gorod, which  is  a  kind  of  Birmingham  to  Russia, 
and  with  a  new  pair  of  English  shoes  which  were 
given  him,  and  a  fresh  supply  of  provisions,  he 
embarked  upon  the  famous  river  Volga,  in  a  small 
vessel  bound  to  Kazan.  The  Volga  is  a  magnifi- 
cent stream,  and  the  number  of  vessels  of  different 
sizes  and  shapes  made  the  scene  very  picturesquer 
A  lofty  chain  of  mountains  on  one  side  occasionally 


m^ 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


211 


gave  it  an  air  of  grandeur,  but  on  the  whole  it  was 
not  very  interesting,  and  our  traveller  would  wil- 
lingly have  gone  on  shore  again,  but  a  large  bag 
of  money  which  he  had  to  carry  prevented  him. 

Uncle  Richard.  Money,  Tom,  I  thought 
you  were  relating  the  adventures  of  a  poor  tra- 
veller ? 

**  I  intended  to  surprise  you,  uncle,  for,  to  tell 
you  the  truth,  it  was  copper  money,  and  the  whole 
value  did  not  amount  to  a  guinea.  He  was  not 
rich  enough  to  leave  it  behind,  but  he  spent  some 
of  it  in  laying  in  afresh  stock  of  provisions  accord- 
ing to  his  agreement  with  the  master  of  the  ves- 
sel. Flour,  boiled  and  mixed  with  water  and  oil, 
and  black  bread,  was  what  he  provided,  and  a  very 
small  sum  of  money  purchased  his  store. 

"  They  soon  entered  the  extensive  and  rich 
province  of  Kazan,  through  which  the  noble  Volga 
runs.  The  manufactories  of  soap  made  from  the 
fat  of  Astracan  seals,  and  the  gold  and  silver  em- 
broidery of  boots,  shoes,  and  bo«hets  employ 
numbers  of  people. 

"  The  city  of  Kazan  is  a  very  large  one,  and 
contains  a  very  handsome  church,  called  *  St. 
Paul  and  St.  Peter,'  which  was  built  by  a  private 
gentleman  in  honour  of  the  Czar  Peter,  who  h^ 
once  favoured  his  house  by  making  it  his  resting 
place  for  a  night. 

"  He  stayed  a  very  short  time  in  Kazan,  and 
proceeded  through  Perm  and  Kongour  till  he  ap- 
proached the  borders  of  Siberia.  He  could  not 
avoid  contemplating  with  some  uneasiness  his  en- 
trance into  a  country  which  he  had  heard  of  only 
as  a  scene  of  cruelty  and  misery.  He  proceeded, 
however,  and  gently  ascended  the  Ural  mountains, 
which  form  the  boundary  between  Europe  and  Asia. 


ii 


# 


jei2 


NORTHERN    REGIONS. 


He  had  a  cold  walk  when  he  approached  the  sum- 
mit, apd  at  the  last  European  station  he  dined,  and 
took  his  leave  of  his  own  quarter  of  tlie  ^lobe.  While 
yet  standing  as  it  were  between  Euiope  and  Asia, 
a  group  of  little  children  presented  him  with  some 
wild  strawberries  and  cream  ;  this  is  the  custom  of 
the  country,  and  the  strawberries  are  remarkably 
fine  flavoured. 

"He  passed  these  majestic  barriers, the  ascent 
and  descent  of  which  was  so  gtadual  as  to  be  al- 
most imperceptible,  and  he  slept  in  Asia  that  day, 
and  reached  Ekatherinebourg  the  next.  %v 

"  On  entering  Asia,  Captain  Cochrane  remark- 
ed that  the  cottagers  were  all  cleaner  and  more 
civilized  than  on  the  European  side  of  the  Urals. 
Whatever  village  he  came  to,  they  always  set  be- 
fore him  streshee,  which  is  cabbage-sou  p,and  bread 
and  milk,  nor  could  he  ever  prevail  upon  them  to 
let  him  pay  any  thing.  A  pipe  of  tobacco,  or  a 
glass  of  bodkaor  whiskey,  was  all  he  could  prevail 
upon  them  to  accept  in  return,  and  therefore  he 
consigned  his  purse,  which  was  getting  rather 
empty,  to  his  knapsack,  and  gave  himself  no  far- 
ther trouble  about  paying  for  his  fare. 

"  Another  thing  he  remarked,  that  after  he  quit- 
ted Euroj}.e,  he  saw  no  more  oak  trees,  which 
never  grow  in  Asia  ;  mice,  too,  are  said  to  die  as 
soon  as  removed  over  the  Ural  mountains ;  while 
the  sable  is  an  animal  never  met  with  out  of  Asia. 

**  One  of  the  cottagers  undertook  to  teach  him 
a  little  more  of  the  Russian  tongue.  He  knew 
that  ^kchorosko^  was  the  Russian  word  for  *  well;^ 
but  he  did  not  know  that  *  Icchudo*  meant  *  i«</,'  so 
his  host,  to  teach  him,  gave  him  a  slap  upon  one 
cheek  while  lie  repeated  the  word  kchorosko  and 


.  ,^^£^] 


-^,^^\.iti'ilv&'.^ 


..*■ 


NORTHERN   REGIONS* 


213 


a  kiss  on  the  other,  saying,  at  the  same  time, 
kchudo,''^ 

Uncle  Richard.  This  was  a  very  impressive 
mode  of  teaching;  I  should  imagine  your  traveller 
would  not  easily  forget  those  two  words  at  least. 

**  At  Ekatherinebourg,  Captain  Cochrane  visited 
the  gold  mine,  down  which  he  was  let  in  a  basket 
to  the  depth  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet.  It  is 
worked  by  peasants  belonging  to  the  Emperor  of 
Russia  ;  and  the  tedious  process  may  be  imagined, 
when  I  tell  you,  that  four  thousand  pounds  weight 
of  earth  seldom  produce  one  guinea's  worth  of 
fine  gold.  The  produce  of  the  mine  is  carried  to 
the  river,  apart  of  which  is  dammed  up  to  form  a 
kind  of  lake,  where  it  is  washed,  and  the  gold 
separated  from  the  earth.  A  smelting  furnace  is 
close  at  hand.  There  are  likewise  large  iron  and 
copper  foundries  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  city, 

*'  Quitting  Ekatherinebourg,  my  traveller  was 
pleased  at  the  thoughts  of  having  entered  Siberia, 
and  directed  his  course  to  Tobolsk.  He  frequent- 
ly walked  five  and  thirty  miles  a-day,  at  the  expense 
of  his  feet,  which  got  terribly  blistered.  At  a  lit- 
tle Tartar  village  on  his  road  he  was  regaled  with 
pork,  eggs,  and  bread,  and  partook  of  it  free  of  ex- 
pense a  la  Tart  are  ^  first  shaking  hands  with  the 
host,  who  gave  him  the  blessing  of*  Peace  be  with* 
you,'  and  then  squatted  down  on  the  floor  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  rest. 

*'  Thus  hospitably  regaled,  he  walked  along^ 
sleeping  in  the  open  air,  as  he  had  accustomed 
himself  to  do  in  Spain  when  wandering  along  in 
company  with  the  merry  muleteers. 

**  The  rains,  however,  came  on  heavily,  and 
dripping  with  wet  and  half  famished,  he  reached 
Tobolsk,  the  capital  of  Western  Siberfa.  He  was 


^t:^ 


I 


ti 


ml. 


-«WL,itS&, 


Tfi^ 


214 


.■\ 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


^,^x:-.' 


received  there  as  he  had  heen  at  every  Russian 
station,  most  kindly,  by  the  family  of  the  governor, 
and  spent  a  short  time  most  happily  at  this  Russian 
prison,  as  it  is  generally  called.  It  seems,  however, 
that  criminals  and  malefactors  banished  from  Rus- 
sia, are  sent  farther  into  the  interior  of  S'iberia,  and 
poHtical  offenders  only  die  allowed  to  remain  in 
Tobolsk.  Even  in  this  remote  region,  however, 
he  was  gratified  by  seeing  the  good  effects  of  the 
Emperor  Alexander's  visit  to  England,  for  Lan- 
castrian schools  have  been  since  established  in 
Tobolsk  and  other  parts  of  Siberia  by  his  orders, 
and  nearly  one  thousand  boys  are  taught  in  them, 
and  have  made  great  progress  already." 

Charles.  What  an  iuimense  place  this  Sibe- 
ria is,  Tom  !  I  wonder  whether  it  always  belonged 
to  Russia  ?  -iu    / '^T  P  ^ 

**  Oh,  no  ;  I  can  give  you  some  little  account 
of  its  conquest,  which  took  place  about  the  latter 
end  of  the  seventeenth  century.  It  was  Yermak, 
a  kind  of  captain  of  banditti  among  tiie  Don  Cos- 
sacks, that  both  discovered  and,  in  fact,  conquered 
Siberia.  He  was  banished  his  country,  and  ta- 
king hi^  little  band  of  Cossacks,  he  went  far  to  the 
north,  and  settled  on  th<i  banks  of  the  river  Kama, 
near  a  factory  which  a  Russian  merchant  had  es- 
tablished for  the  sake  of  bartering  with  the  Sibe- 
rians. Every  summer  he  made  incursions  to  at- 
tack the  Siberians  and  in  winter  he  built  himself 
a  Kreposti  or  wooden  fortress.  Accustomed  to 
hardships,  they  penetrated  farther  and  farther  eve- 
ry year,  till  at  last,  with  five  hundred  men,  he  laid 
siege  to  Sibei,  the  capital,  and  entered  it  in  triumph, 

"  Finding,  however,  that  his  forces  were  not 
sufficient  to  keep  it,  he  sent  a  trusty  friend  to  St. 
Petersburg  to  offer  his  conquest  and  services  to  the 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


21.3 


Czar,  who  gladly  pardoned  himself  and  followers, 
and  sent  them  handsome  presents. 

'*  Yermak  again  boldly  sallied  forth  with  three 
hundred  Cossacks  in  search  of  new  conquests ; 
but  the  news  that  the  Khan  of  Tartary  was  on  his 
road  to  attack  Sibei,  made  him  turn  back. 

*'  He  reached  a  canal  he  had  cut  for  the  defence 
of  the  place,  where  the  whole  party,  overcome  with 
fatigue,  lay  down  to  sleep.  In  this  situation  they 
were  surprised  by  the  Khan,  who  had  followed  and 
watched  them,  and  after  a  scene  of  tumult,  were 
all  slaughtered,  except  Yermak  and  one  man. — 
Yermak  hastened  to  the  river,  attempted  to  jump 
into  a  boat  but  fell  into  the  neater  and  was  drown- 
ed. The  Khan  of  course  took  possession  of  Sibei 
again,  but  it  was  not  long  before  the  Russians 
renewed  the  warfare,  and  took  possession  of  the 
whole  of  Siberia,  Kamschaika  excepted,  which 
was  not  conquered  till  the  eighteenth  century. 

i  *'  Thus  the  empire  of  Russia,  in  the  space  of 
one  century,  extended  its  dominions  from  Europe 
to  the  Eastern  Ocean,  and  from  the  Frozen  Ocean 
to  the  confines  of  China,  colonies,  towns,  and  set- 
tlements were  established,  and  I  am  shocked  to 
say,  those  Tartars  who  would  not  submit  to  the 
Russian  youe,  were  barbarously  put  to  death.'* 

Charles.  Thank  you,  Tom ;  I  feel  a  little 
more  at  home  in  this  vast  wild,  although  i  do  not 
envy  Captain  Cochrane  his  journey,  through  which 
he,  surely,  cannot  attempt  to  go  on  foot.'* 

*' At  Tobolsk  he  was  furnished  with  a  leather 
water-proof  knapsacK  ,and  a  Cossael'  to  attend  hrm, 
and  likewise  an  order  foi*  horses  if  necessary. — 
With  his  attendant,  therefore,  he  once  more  set 
forth,  and  soon  came  to  a  monastery,  from  which 
hundreds  of  people  were  flocking  who  had  been 


. ,  :  il 

11 
L 


M 


i#i 


m 


\ 


216 


NORTHERN*  REGIONS. 


paying  their  annual  visit  to  the  virgin,  their  saint ^ 
who  had  been  there  in  person  to  receive  her  rents. 

**  After  ferrying  over  the  river  Irtish,  he  passed 
through  a  number  of  Tartar  villages,  the  inhabit 
tants  of  whom  were  of  the  Bashkire  race.  The 
houses  were  clean,  the  people  civil,  and  he  fed 
upon  cakes  and  milk.  The  Tartar  women  wear 
nothing  but  a  plain  white  shift  with  a  ribbon  round 
the  waist.  This,  and  a  handkerchief  on  their  head, 
is  their  only  dress.  The  hair  of  the  young  girls 
hangs  down  their  back  in  a  plait,  which  sometimes 
is  brought  under  the  left  arm  and  fastened  to  the 
belt  of  the  shift.  This  is  the  summer-dress ;  but 
the  simple  style  is  laid  aside  in  winter,  and  a 
much  gayer  one  adopted. 

**  The  Tartar  cottages  have  white  plastered 
chimneys.  One  part  of  the  floor  within  is  raised 
above  the  other;  and  serves  for  bed  and  storeroom. 
They  have  neither  chairs  nor  stools,  but  abun- 
dance of  pillows  for  their  beds,  with  which  they 
form  a  seat  for  strangers.  Earthenware  tea- 
things  and  utensils  form  the  only  ornamental  fur- 
niture of  these  cottages,  which  have  always,  how- 
ever, the  useful  addition  of  a  vegetable  garden  at- 
tached to  them.  The  women  never  eat  till  the 
men  have  done. 

**  The  account  of  the  scenery  of  this  part  is  gi- 
ven with  great  justice  in  the  story  of  *  Elizabeth, 
Or  the  Exiles  of  Siberia,'  but  the  town  of  Ishim,  so 
much  talked  of  there,  is  a  most  miserable  place. 

**  The  loss  of  his  passport  and  papers,  which  a 
rogue,  for  he  had  got  into  the  land  into  which  pick- 
pockets are  banished  from  Russia,  stole  out  of  his 
knapsack  while  he  was  at  dinner,  a  little  damped 
his  enjoyment,  and  he  pursuod  his  way  to  Omsk 
in  a  melancholy  mood.  Here  he  applied  to  the 
.police;  and  after  some  trouble,  got  his  passport 


/ 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


217 


ugain ;  for  the  thief,  finding  that  he  had  got  only 
some  useless  bits  of  paper,  instead  of  money,  took 
the  trouble  to  send  them  after  him.  There  is  a 
noble  military  college  at  Omsk,  founded  by  Alex- 
ander, upon  the  Lancastrian  system,  in  which  the 
youths  are  taught  arithmetic,  nuithematics,  alge- 
bra, and  fortification,  and  some  of  the  Oriental 
languages.  Count  Ivanofif  is  the  head  of  the 
school,  which  is  for  the  children  of  soldiers,  and  he 
is  rather  like  a  father  to  them.  There  is  another 
school,  too,  for  the  Cossacks,  which  ib  not  so  well 
managed. 

**  The  wandering  Kir Tuise  live  in  the  nighbour- 
hood  of  this  city.  These  people  are  divided  into 
three  hordes,  each  of  which  is  governed  by  a  Khan, 
although  tributary  to  Russia.  They  travel  about 
Siberia,  from  Omsk  to  the  Caspiafi,  and  trade  in 
the  way  of  barter,  exchanging  cattle  for  tobacce 
and  spirits.  M.-^ny  of  these  Tartars  are  to  be  seen 
in  Omsk,  who  have  been  sold  when  children,  by 
their  wretched  parents,  for  a  glass  of  spirits,  or  a 
pound  of  tobacco.  I'he  Kirguise  are  accused,  too« 
of  kidnapping  and  selling  Christians.  In  fact,  they 
are  a  kind  of  gypsy  race,  living  in  a  place  just  as 
long  as  they  can  find  forage  for  their  horses,  and 
in  winter  resorting  to  the  woods  for  the  sake  of 
the  fuel.  Their  tents  are  wretched,  an  iron  kettle 
^nd  w  ooden  spoons  being  their  only  furniture. 

**  The  Calmucks  are  another  vagabond  race^ 
who  live  in  this  neighbourhood,  though  a  distinct 
tribe,  and  entirely  differing  from  the  Kirguise  ia 
form,  feature,  and  origin.  They  are  not  tributary 
to  Russia,  but,  like  the  Kirguise,  they  too  vvill 
part  with  their  children,  in  order  to  gratify  the  want 
<}f  the  moment*  Their  flat  noses,  small  eyes,  high 

19 


Hi 

r 


m 


■m 


I 


iMl 


• 


218 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


checks,  and  yellow  brown  complexions,  distinguish 
them  from  every  other  race.  They  are  dishonest, 
but  good-natured,  and,  after  much  discipline,  make 
good  servants.  These  were  the  two  people  Cap- 
tain Cochiaiie  was  ^oing  to  associate  with  in  his 
next  ramble,  which  he  began  in  good  spirits,  with 
his  Cossack  and  some  horses.  He  dined  on  his 
road  with  two  Kirguise  Chiefs,  whose  appearance 
was  very  striking.  A  Jong  blue  cloth  robe,  or- 
namented with  silver  embroidery,  and  a  silver  belt, 
from  which  was  hung  a  dagger,  knife,  and  pipe, 
and  tinder-box.  A  coloured  shirt,  hirge  Tartar 
trowsers  and  boots,  with  a  handsome  fur  cap,  com- 
pleted his  dress,  while  a  long  beard  and  bare  neck 
added  to  its  peculiar  appearance.  They  were  ex- 
cellent horsemen,  being  well  accoutred,  with  a  long 
whip,  which  served  for  the  double  purpose  of  whip- 
ping their  horses  and  their  cattle.  The  youth  of 
this  race  are  very  handsome  in  general.  From 
Omsk  to  Semipalatinsk  the  Kirguise  territory  ex- 
tends, being  bounded  to  the  east  by  the  noble  river 
Irtish,  which  my  traveller  Pt  length  crossed  a  little 
below  the  latter  town.  I  must  first,  however,  tell 
you,  that  at  Semipalatinsk  he  found  another  Lan«  I 
oastrian  school,  of  four  hundred  boys,  which  is 
very  creditable  to  the  Russian  government,  which,  | 
however,  would  do  well  to  examine  the  state  of  the 
police,  for  the  neighbourhood  is  infested  with  rob- 
beis  to  a  dreadful  degree.  A  poor  pedlar  was  rob- 
bed of  his  horse,  besides  roubles,  to  the  amount  of 
a  hundred  pounds,  without  the  slightest  chance  of 
recovering  it.  After  crossing  the  Irtish,  he  saw 
melons,  for  the  first  time,  in  that  part,  which,  with 
cucumbers  and  bread,  were  the  usual  food  of  the 
country  people.  Ten  for  a  penny  was  the  price 
at  which  he  bought  them,  and  a  penny  a  hundred 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


219 


for  cucumbers,  and  five  pence  for  forty  pounds  of 
bread.  Hosfiitality  and  aliuiidanc.c  united  here  to 
make  him  fare  well.  Every  ihinij  conspiied  to 
make  hisjournev  deliiyhtful.  The  scenery  was 
ma;^iiificent ;  hitherto  all  had  been  flat,  dreary,  and 
void  :  now  he  had  entered  a  hold  and  mountainous 
country,  partly  cultivated,  partly  overspread  with 
forests.  It  was  the  month  of  Au<^ust.  Tartar 
peasants  tending  their  flocks  wen*  the  only  living 
ohjects  ;  the  sun  was  settiuj^  behind  the  mountains, 
to  the  west,  and  the  moon  gave  her  li^ht  from  an 
opposite  point,  and  the  waters  of  the  distant  river, 
Ulba,  gave  a  murmuring  sound.  Me  trotted  along, 
enjoying,  in  solitude,  this  oeautiful  scene  till  mid- 
night, when  he  halted  at  a  village,  and  an  easy  ride 
next  morning  brought  him  to  the  Bourktarma. 
Here  he  reached  the  southern  boundary  of  the  vast 
Russian  empire,  and  wasa.;ain  each  mted  with  the 
beauties  of  the  scenery.  The  peasants  regaled  him 
with  currants  and  melons ;  and  at  length,  in  the 
middle  of  a  beautiful  moonlight  night,  he  reached 
the  last  Russian  frontier  station,  which  was  occu- 
pied by  a  single  officer  and  a  handful  of  men.  This 
marks  the  boundaries  between  the  two  mighty  em- 
pires of  Russia  and  China.  He  forded  a  little 
stream,  which  in  fact  was  the  limit,  and  sat  down 
uuon  a  stone.  It  was  near  midnight,  and  the  light 
of  the  moon  fell  upon  the  lofty  granite  mountains, 
which  enclosed  vallies  more  luxuriant  than  any 
in  the  world ;  and  all  uninhabited,  save  by  wild 
beasts. 

"  Our  adventurous  traveller  would  willingly  have 
extended  his  pilgrimage  into  China  itself,  but  the 
extreme  jealousy  of  this  people,  with  regard  to 
strangers,  made  him  not  dare  to  do  so.  He  re- 
traced his  steps,  therefore ;  and  after  a  perilous 


m 


1^1 


I 


ill  * 


m 


! 


r 

1:1' 


,: 


*! 


« 


!:yS»!i' 


tif 


i 
ft 


I'l 


{' 


ill 


i 


220 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


passage  in  his  canoe  up  the  Bourktarma,  entered 
the  noble  Irtish.  This  stream,  which  extends  from 
the  confines  of  China  to  the  Frozen  Sea,  might,  if 
navigated  by  steam  boats,  be  most  valuable  for 
purposes  of  commerce.  They  had  a  rapid  voyage 
up  it,  and  made  ninety  miles  in  ten  hours. 

**  Leaving  the  Irtish,  Captain  Cochrane  and  a 
Cossack  proceeded  to  the  Silver  Mines  near  Bar- 
naoule,  and  it  was  a  busy  scene,  carts  of  all  shapes, 
canoes,  and  coffins  even,  being  employed  in  carry- 
ins:  the  earth  and  the  ore.  Five  thousand  people 
are  employed  in  this  manner  alone.  The  thirty- 
two  mines  at  Barnaoule  yield  an  annual  profit  of 
two  hundred  thousand  pounds.  The  silver  is  work- 
ed and  sent  in  ingots  to  St.  Petersburg.  The 
works  are  carried  on  night  and  day ;  the  workmen, 
about  82,0()0  in  number,  are  divided  into  three 
parties,  who  are  constantly  at  work ;  for  one  week 
a  party  works  through  the  day ;  for  the  next; 
through  the  night ;  and  the  third  week  they  are 
allowed  to  work  their  lands  at  home.  Their  wages 
for  this  hard  labour  are  very  trifling  ;  but  their 
condition  is  not  bad,  because  they  have  plenty  of 
time  to  cultivate  their  ground,  on  which  they  grow 
corn  and  vegetables.  Most  of  them  have  horses, 
which  they  let  out  to  carry  the  ore,  and  which  are 
extremely  profitable  to  the  owners. 

"  The  Governor  General  arrived  at  Barnaoule 
while  Captain  Cochrane  was  there,  and  he,  as  well 
as  General  Speransk^,  the  Governor,  was  very  kind 
to  our  traveller.  The  former  told  him  of  an  ex- 
pedition to  the  shores  of  the  Frozen  Sea,  and  ofifer- 
cd  him  permission  to  join  it,  which  the  Captain 
gladly  accepted ;  and  after  obtainin^g  a  most  vala- 
able  letter  of  recommendation  to  all  the  heads  of 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


221 


the  government  in  various  parts  of  Siberia,  he 
set  forth  towards  Irkutsk. 

*'  At  Tomsk,  which  was  the  first  principal  town 
he  came  to,  nothing  fresh  occurred  to  him,  except 
that  several  of  the  things  which  the  robbers  near 
St.  Petersburg  had  taken  from  him  were  restored 
to  him.  He  now  passed  over  immense  tracts  of 
land,  making  nothing  of  a  hundred  miles,  although 
mostly  walking.  The  Tartar  villages  form  the 
stages,  and  with  some  money  in  his  purse,  and 
provisions  cheap,  he  wanted  little. 

*'  He  had  a  specimen  of  the  manner  of  getting 
what  they  want  adopted  by  the  Cossacks,  for  his 
attendant,  not  being  able  to  get  a  horse  as  soon  as 
he  wanted  it,  took  the  elder  of  the  village,  whose 
duty  it  was  to  provide  him  with  one,  and  gave  him 
a  sound  drubbing.'^ 


CHAPTER  II. 

f    .       • 

**  I  HAVE  now  brought  you,  uncle,  together  with 
my  traveller,  as  far  as  Irkutsk,  where  the  reception 
he  met  with  was  most  gratifying  to  a  wanderer 
like  himself,  who  had  already  traversed  so  many 
hundreds  of  miles  and  encountered  so  few  ofhis 
fellow  creatures,  scarcely  any  indeed,  whose  lan- 
guage was  known  to  him,  or  with  whom  he  couM 
hold  any  communication.^ 

"  Parties  were  made  to  welcome,  and  listen  to 

his  adventures  ;  and  atnong  the  many  with  whom 

he  associated  during  his  stay  in  Irkutsk j  hone  in* 

■     JO*.  '  ■•      ', 


,8  • 


."v-. 

!i*^ 
^^;( 

,!i: 


m 


Hi 

:■  t  ;„ 


)    :j 


;li 


'i! 


.') 


#,v..  *^ 


.322 


^■., 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


torested  dim  so  much  as  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gedestroiii« 
who  had  travelled  together  across  the  Frozen 
ocean  for  the  sake  of  discovery  in  the  years  1809, 
1810,  and  1811. 

'*  From  them  he  gained  some  useful  informa- 
tion  and  advice  with  regard  to  his  future  plans. 

'*  At  Irkutsk  there  is  a  large  Lancastrian  school, 
and  a  prison  so  well  conducted,  that  it  would 
have  met  the  approbation  even  of  the  humane 
Howard ! 

*  The  society  consists  of  the  military  men,  who 
are  genteel,  and  look  down  upon  the  other  set, 
the  merchants,  who  are  in  fact  little  better  than 
Jew  pedlars,  and  though  rich,  are  perfectly  uned- 
ucated and  vulgar. 

"  A  week's  stay  was  all  that  this  eager  adven- 
turer allowed  himself,  and  with  a  fresh  Cossack, 
he  bent  his  steps  towards  Yakutsk. 

**  Alternately  walking  and  paddling  in  his  canoe 
down  the  river  Lena,  at  the  rate  of  more  than  a 
hundred  miles  a  day,  they  reached  Karenga.  His 
hospitable  friends  at  Irkutsk  had  so  loaded  him 
with  provisions,  or,  as  they  call  it,  bread  and  salt, 
that  he  needed  nothing  till  he  reached  this  other 
station,  where  he  was  again  amply  supplied." 

UiNCLE  Richard.  Surely,  Tom,  this  beautiful 
trait  in  the  Russiau  character,  this  hospitality  of 
theirs,  deserved  some  remarks.  I  have  heard  it 
said,  that  a  stranger  may  travel  through  the  Rus- 
sian Empire  as  long  as  his  conduct  is  good,  and 
want  for  nothing ;  Captain  Cochrane  seems  to 
have  been  an  instance  of  the  truth  of  this.  The 
remark  of  course  can  only  extend  to  the  unciviliz- 
ed partSy  for  where  there  is  much  travelling,  such 
unbounded  hospitality  would  be  ruinous. 

Tom.     "  Eight  days  heavy  pulls  up  the  river 


4- 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


Q23 


Lena  brought  our  Captain  to  Vittini)  which  is  in 
the  Tongousian  territory,  and  four  more  to  Jerbat. 
The  stages  were  long,  and  the  river  was  fillin'g 
with  ice.  The  hardy  Tongousian  boatmen  were 
obliged  to  strip  and  plunge  into  the  water  to 
drag  the  boat  along.  The  extreme  cold  of  the 
water  rendered  this  a  painful  and  dangerous  opera- 
tion, but,  rewarded  by  a  mouthful  of  smoke  from  a 
pipe  or  a  drop  of  brandy,  they  willingly  underwent 
it.  As  the  villagers  were  all  engaged  in  fishing, 
f  hey  had  a  difficulty  at  Jerbat  in  getting  either  a 
boat  or  horses,  and  they  applied  to  the  elder  to 
provide  us,  showing  him  an  order.  He,  eyeing 
the  traveller  all  over,  said  that  the  ord^r  referred 
to  a  Captain  in  the  Navy,  whereas  the  long  beard 
and  nankeen  coat  of  our  hero  showed  him  to  be 
a  Russian  pedlar.  The  Cossack  would  willingly 
have  applied  his  *ick  to  this  old  fellow,  but  the 
Captain  would  !  <  How  him,  and  determined  to 
throw  his  knapsack,  once  more  over  his  back  and 
walk  along  the  coast  till  he  met  with  some  better 
friend. 

**  There  is  a  cave  on  the  shores  of  Lena,  much 
venerated  by  the  natives ;  the  roof  is  decorated 
with  icicles,  which,  as  they  hang  down  resemble 
chandeliers. 

**  The  Tongousians  are  likewise  wanderers,  and 
live  in  the  north  west  of  Siberia.  They  are  divi- 
ded into  forest  and  desert  Tongousi.  The  forest 
Tongousi  fish  and  hunt,  the  desert  tend  their  flocki^^ 
and  wander  with  them  from  pasture  to  pasture^ 
They  are  idolaters,  very  few  having  been  convert- 
ed ;  but  they  are  honest  and  hospitable,  and  pa- 
tient undet  hardships :  they  are  grateful  for  kind 
treatment,  but  easily  offended,  and  a  blow  is  an 
ihsult  they  never  forgive. 


LH3 


M 


I, 


^■ 


2^4. 


NORTHERN  REGIONS^ 


**  They  are  small  and  delicate,  and  would  be' 
rather  pleasing  in  appearance,  if  they  were  not 
terribly  filthy,  as  like  our  friends  the  Esquimaux 
they  eat  *  any  thing.'  Their  dress  consists  of  rein- 
deer skin  trowsers,  with  the  hair  inside,  a  leather 
waistcoat  and  jacket,  lined  and  ornamented  with 
white  fox-skins,  and  in  cold  weather  a  frock  over 
all.  A  few  additions,  such  as  a  fur  cap,  large 
gloves,  a  white  fox-skin  breast-cover,  and  a  com- 
forter round  the  neck  made  of  the  tails  of  squir- 
rels, finish  their  attire,  added  to  which,  in  severe 
weather,  they  have  covers  for  their  forehead,  ears, 
nose,  and  chin.  A  bear-skin  bed,  a  rein-deer 
skin  blanket,  lined  with  wolf's  fur  made  in  the 
shape  of  a  bag,  form  their  comfortable  equipments. 

"  Captain  Cochrane  now  took  leave  of  the  Ton- 
gousians,  and  entered  the  Yakuti  district.  He 
advanced  by  rapid  stages  in  his  canoe  up  the  Lena, 
and  in  six  days  reached  Yakutsk,  the  whole  jour- 
ney having  been  enlivened  by  the  sight  of  nume- 
rous cheerful-looking  villagers.  The  Goveinor, 
Captain  Minitski,  had  been  many  years  in  the 
English  Navy,  and  received  him  as  a  friend^  and 
provided  him  with  every  thing  that  seemed  need- 
ful for  his  future  journey. 

*'  At  Yakutsk,  the  river  Lena  is  in  summer  four 
miles,  in  winter  two  and  a  half  broad.  It  is  in  fact 
a  noble  river,  running  from  its  source  near  Ir- 
kutsk a  course  of  three  thousand  miles,  till  it  emp- 
ties itself  by  many  mouths  into  the  Frozen  ocean. 
Yakutsk  is  a  straggling  kind  of  town,  containing 
however  a  large  population,  some  of  whom  are 
Russians,  some  Yakuti,  and  some  of  other  tribes.  ^ 

**  They  all  pay  tribute,  not  in  money  but  in 
furs,  mostly  in  sable ;  a  fine  black  sable  from  Vit-  ' 
fim  is  valued  from  fifteen  to  twenty  pounds.  The 


1 
r| 

tl 

tl 


-i^Mi^' 


9» 


■T 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


225 


inhabitants  barter  the  skins  of  foxes,  lynxes,  squir- 
rels, wolves,  sables,  otters,  and  martins,  with  the 
traders,  in  exchange  for  tea,  tobacco,  spirits,  ket- 
tles, nankeen,  knives,  &,c. 

*'  Yakutsk  is  still  more  deficient  in  society  than 
Irkutsk.  A  tea  party,  as  described  by  Captain 
Cochrane,  must  certainly  be  a  most  stupid  as  well  as 
ludicrous  concern.  A  party  of  natives,  some  malesi 
some  females,  visit  the  house  of  the  chief.  The 
ladies  might  be  dumb,  for  they  never  speak,  and 
sit  silently  crac  ing  a  small  kind  of  cedar  nut  which 
grjws  abundantly  in  the  neighbourhood.  Perhaps 
half  a  dozen  females  may  be  assembled,  and  each 
eat  as  many  hundred  nuts,  and  leave  the  house 
without  speaking  one  single  word.  They  sip  three 
or  four  cups  of  tea,  as  long  as  the  copper  tea-urn 
has  any  water  in  it,  but  the  way  in  which  they  use 
their  sugar-candy,  with  which  they  sweeten  their 
tea,  is  truly  droll.  Every  one  takes  a  lump  out  of 
the  basin,  and,  instead  of  putting  it  into  her  tea, 
bites  a  little  bit  off  with  every  cup  of  tea  that  she 
drinks ;  so  that  there  is  generally  a  part  of  the 
lump  left,  which  she  carefully  puts  upon  her  cup 
when  she  has  turned  it  down.  When  the  party 
has  broken  up,  these  pieces  are  put  back  into  the 
basin,  so  that  a  lady  has  a  chance  of  finding  her 
own  bitten  piece  of  sugar  the  next  time  she  takes 
tea  at  the  house.  It  is  the  same  with  their  cakes, 
which  they  put  behind  them  on  their  chair,  and 
the  pieces  are  collected  when  they  are  gonei  and 
restored  to  the  basket. 

'*  The  gentlemen  all  this  time  drink  rum  and 
brandy  punch. 

**  The  dinner  parties  are  no  less  peculiar  ;  they 
have  no  chairs,  but  a  long  table  spread  with  fish- 
pies,  deers'  tongues,  roast  beef,  and  wild  berries* 


m 


i'i: 


m  '^ 


I 


m 


i 


ii 


I! 


mm 


i  * 


M-''' 


^26 


*f  NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


A  glass  of  brandy  is  handed  all  round  in  the  first 
place,  which  it  is  the  fashion  to  refuse  twice,  and 
accept  the  third  time. 

"  In  this  little  remote  town,  there  is  great  at- 
tention paid  to  etiquette.  The  ladies,  when  they 
visit  the  Governor's  wife,  all  kiss  her  hand,  while 
she  sits  like  a  princess  upon  a  sofa,  without  taking 
the  slightest  notice  of  this  mark  of  respect. 

**  Some  little  time  was  spent  here  in  preparing 
a  travellinq^  dress,  suitable  to  the  climate  and  the 
season  Captain  Cochrfxne  was  about  to  brave. — 
This  he  thou^^ht  he  had  amply  done,  but  he  had 
no  idea  of  what  he  had  to  encounter.  At  Yakutsk 
he  had  gone  about  in  his  nankeen  dress,  and  while 
even  the  natives  fancied  he  must  be  sufferingfrom 
cold,  his  spirit  was  resolute.  His  active  mind  pre- 
vented him  from  dweiliui^  upon  his  own  personal 
feelings,  and  kept  him  ever  happy,  because  ever 
employed. 

"  At  length,  on  the  last  day  of  October,  he  set 
forth  on  his  journey  to  IVishtiey  Kolymsk,  a  distance 
of  one  thousand  eitj^ht  hundred  miles,  at  the  coldest 
season  of  the  year,  and  to  the  coldest  extreme  of 
Asia.  His  agitation  was  great  at  quitting  his 
friends  to  go  alone,  ignorant  as  he  was,  not  only 
of  the  Russian  language,  but  of  that  spoken  by 
the  Tartar  tribes. 

**  The  ice  which  covered  the  Lena,  allowed  him 
with  his  Cossack  and  guide,  to  travel  in  a  sledge 
Upon  its  surface,  but  tiif^  i>ltin.?  anlthe  cold  so 
annoyed  him,  that  he  preferred  walking.  After 
sheltering  for  a  night  at  a  yourte  or  hut,  he  con- 
tinued his  route,  alternately  w  ilking  and  riding, 
and  was  cheered  by  the  attentions  of  the  Yaku^L 
who  brought  him  milk,  meat,  and  clotted  creano, 
mixed  with  wild  raspberries. 

^*  The  river  Lena  he  now  exchajnged  for  the 


foi 
se 
ro 
at 


•%T 


itSi^ 


■*i!t> 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


227 


Aldan,  which  is  another  large  river,  which  took 
him  to  a  town  of  the  same  name  Horses  here 
were  procured  with  some  difficulty  to  carry  them 
on  for  one  hundred  miles  into  the  Kolyma.  These 
horses  are  small,  but  of  a  fine  breed, and  a  Yakut 
for  a  wager,  will  ride  one  of  them  a  hundred  and 
seventy  miles  in  four  and  twenty  hours,  in  a  good 
round  trot,  which  would  surprise  our  sportsmen 
at  home* 

*'  Their  nights  were  now  passed  in  the  open  air, 
in  the  following  manner.  The  first  thing  on 
reaching  a  spot  suitable  for  shelter  was  to  unload 
the  horses,  loosen  their  saddles,  take  their  bridles 
oflT,  and  tie  them  to  a  tree.  Toset-the  Yakuti  to 
fell  timber  for  a  fire  was  the  next,  while  the  Cap- 
tain and  the  Cossack  cleared  the  snow  with  wood- 
en spades.  With  branches  of  the  pine  they  form- 
ed a  seat,  which,  with  the  fire  in  the  centre,  and 
a  leathern  bag  beneath  them,  made  them  com- 
fortable. The  kettle  soon  boiled,  and  then  their 
sufferings  were  forgotten.  But  poor  Captain  Coch- 
rane was  worse  clad  than  any  of  the  party,  and 
while  one  side  of  him  was  roasting,  the  other 
would  be  freezing,  on  which  account  he  was  fre- 
quently obliged  to  get  up  and  run  about  to  warm 
himself. 

*'  In  ascending  the  mountains  which  form  a  kind 
of  barrier  between  Northern  Sibeiia,Captain  Coch- 
rane occasionally  took  shelter  in  a  charity  yourte, 
which  is  a  kind  of  hut,  built  by  some  kind  people 
for  the  accommodation  of  travellers.  In  these 
yourtes  a  large  opening  in  the  roof  serves  both  for 
window  and  chimney,  the  centre  of  the  hut  isleft 
for  the  fire-place,  and  at  some  little  distance  round 
Hre  ranged  snug  little  cells  for  sleeping  places.  The 
.  <^iitside  is  banked  up  with  snow,  and  the  roof  is 


'  ■;  hi 
*'1  liHl 


'  II  1 


■     I! 


■fe 

'li 
j.-i 


)      >  PI 


ias 


*^  NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


covered  in  with  the  same.  The  distance  at  which 
these  yourtes  are  placed  is  inconvenient ;  if  they 
were  at  twelve  miles  a-part  instead  of  twenty-five 
it  would  be  much  better.  The  country  was  very 
picturesque,  and  the  vallies  between  the  mountains 
furnish  fine  timber.  Animation  only  is  wanting, 
for  in  a  journey  of  half  the  length  of  England,  not 
a  single  dwelling-house  was  met  with. 

**  After  leaving  Baralass,  the  weather  became 
dreadfully  cold.  Parties  of  Yakuti  on  horseback 
armed  with  bows  and  arrows  for  hunting,  were 
here  and  there  met  with,  who  were  always  civil 
and  obliging,  and  from  a  Yat>ut  prince  they  re- 
ceived a  bowl  of  frozen  milk.  They  soon  entered 
the  valley  of  Tartan,  and  i  illed  adeer,  the  marrow 
out  of  the  fore-legs  being  given  to  Captain  Coch- 
rane as  the  most  dainty  part.  The  deer  weighed 
about  two  hundred  pounds,  but  it  served  only  for 
a  single  meal ;  for  three  or  four  Yakuti  will  easily 
devour  that  quantity,  it  being  with  them  as  with 
the  Esquimaux,  always  either  gluttony  or  star- 
vation. 

"  Captain  Cochrane  saw  a  child  not  above  five 
years  old ;  the  little  fellow  was  crawling  in  search 
ef  tallow  spots  which  had  fallen  from  a  candle ; 
and  hearing  from  the  people  about  that  this  was 
eaten  in  common  with  every  thing  else,  he  gave 
him  three  whole  candles,  which  he  devoured  one 
after  the  other  ;  a  few  pounds  of  sour  frozen  but- 
ter, and  a  lump  of  yellow  soap,  were  then  eaten 
Op  by  this  promising  child,  and  he  probably  could 
liave  done  more  if  Captain  Cochrane  had  not  de« 
$(ired  the  people  not  to  give  him  more. 

**  It  is  no  wonder  that  men  can  eat  so  much, 
^hen  they  are  accustomed  to  it  from  their  earliest 
infancy-     A  Yakut  will  eat  forty  pounds  of  meat 


^# 


^.^ 


'¥ 


«.         * 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


229 


a-day,  however  putrid  it  may  be,  and  he  ^rUl  drink 
off  tea  or  soup  in  a  boiling  state.*' 

Uncle  Kichakd.  I  might  fancy,  Tom,  that 
you  were  telling  me  some  of  my  own  tales  over 
again,  so  much  do  the  eating  powers  of  these  Asi- 
atic, resemble  those  of  my  Esquimaux  friends. 

Tom.  **  They  are  not  selfish,  however,  with 
their  greediness,  for  Captain  Cochrane  remarked, 
that  in  Siberia,  whoever  will  share  the  trouble  of 
getting,  may  be  sure  of  obtaining  his  part  of  the 
food ;  and  he  always  made  a  point  of  joining  in 
the  occupation  of  whatever  party  he  met.  The 
Siberian  fishermen  have  an  ingenious  contrivance 
for  casting  their  nets  under  the  ice,  by  means  of 
large  holes  which  they  cut  at  distances,  and  slide 
their  nets  from  one  end  to  the  other. 
■  **  You  must  now,  uncle,  follow  my  traveller  over 
terrible  roads  ;  often  and  often  was  he  obliged  to 
help  the  natives  to  clear  the  snow  before  his  horses 
could  proceed.  Sometimes  they  were  obliged  to 
unload,  and  drag  the  baggage  for  many  yards. 
When  they  got  off  this  tedious  path,  and  went  along 
the  river,  they  were  not  much  better  off;  for  the 
ice  was  so  slippery,  that  without  first  of  all  chopping 
it  up  with  hatchets,  they  could  not  get  on  at  all. 
They  tied  cloths  to  the  horses'  feet,  and  tried  every 
contrivance  ;  but  with  all  this,  they  could  only  just 
go  by  very  short  steps  ;  and  the}  often  fell  groan- 
ing under  their  burdens,  in  a  manner  most  dis- 
tressing to  witness.  Captain  Cochrane  had  two 
horses  for  his  own  use,  and  his  plan  was  to  lead 
one  over  a  rough  part,  and  to  tie  him  to  a  tree  and 
return  to  fetch  the  other. 

'*  This  laborious  life  lasted  three  days,  and  his 
feet  pained  him  so  much,  that  it  was  most  fortunate 

20 


i* 


I;; 


I 


r. 


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1i 


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1] 


m 


i 


I 


Cm 


I 


N 


^^: 


230 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


that  they  came  to  an  extensive  plaint  now  and  then 
meeting  with  a  charitj  yourte,  in  which  they  could 
at  least  rest  theit  weary  limbs. 

'*  A  few  more  dangerous  passes  over  tremendous 
mountains,  where  not  an  object  met  his  eye,  ex* 
cept  a  few  little  crosses,  on  which  the  Yakuti,  as 
they  pasi^ed,  cast  a  horse's  hair,  in  token  of  grati- 
tude for  their  deliverance,  brought  him  at  last  to 
Zashiversk,  a  miserable  town  on  the  banks  of  the 
Indigirka  river.  The  desolate  scenery  around 
this  place  can  hardly  be  described.  He  had  tra- 
velled from  Tabalak  tothis  place,  a  distance  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  miles,  without  meeting  a  single 
human  habitation,  and  he  now  reached  a  town  in 
which  there  were  only  seven  inhabitants ! 

**  Two  clergymen,  two,ofIicers,  a  post-master,  a 
merchant,  and  widow,  form  the  society  of  the 
place ;  the  river  supplies  them  with  fish  ;  but  as 
not  a  blade  of  grass  grew  near,  and  no  horses  arc 
kept  within  thirty  miles,  there  is  difficulty  in  bring- 
ing hay  for  the  support  of  two  cows. 

*'  The  hospitality  of  the  people  was  as  great  as 
their  poverty,  and  Captain  Cochrane  lived  in  lux- 
ury on  the  j^esh  of  hares,  wolves,  bears,  elks,  and 
rein-deer ;  and,  what  he  considers  as  the  greatest 
treat  he  ever  enjoyed,  frozen  raw  fish.'* 

Uncle  Richard.  I  can  bear  witness  for  him 
there.  I  have  eaten  a  whole  fish  in  this  state,  and 
prefer  it  to  the  finest  jelly,  or  oysters.  It  is  cut 
in  slices  with  a  sharp  knife,  from  head  to  tail. 

Tom.  *  *  With  a  bag  of  these  dainties,  my  travel- 
ler again  set  forth,  after  taking  a  grateful  leave  of 
his  hospitable  entertainers  at  Zashiversk.  The 
frozen  surface  of  the  Indigirka  river  gave  himself 
jand  his  companion  almost  as  much  trouble  as  ever ; 
and  as  he  rode  along,  exposed  to  the  cold  bleak 


a 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


231 


north  wind,  his  knees  had  a  feeling  of  dcadness  in 
them,  for  which  he  could  not  account.  An  old 
pedlar  passed  him,  and,  by  signs  and  words,  told 
him  that  he  would  lose  his  legs  if  his  knees  were 
not  better  protected  ;  he  offered  him  a  pair  of  his 
own  souturee,  or  knee-preservers,  made  of  rein- 
deer*s  legs,  which  Captain  Cochrane  gladly  ac- 
cepted. The  warmth  they  gave  him  had  a  won- 
derful effect  in  restoring  the  use  of  his  knees,  which 
convinced  him  of  the  necessity  of  taking  care  of 
the  extremJtLes." 

Charles.  This  reminds  me  of  your  golden 
rule,  uncle  :  *  Follow  the  custom  of  the  natives, 
in  whatever  climate  your  are.' 

Uncle  Richard.  It  is  but  natural  to  sup- 
pose that  experience  must  teach  those  who  live  in 
a  cold  climate,  the  best  mode  of  adapting  them- 
selves to  it. 

Tom.  **  My  travellers  soon  began  to  suffer  from 
snow  blindness ;  but  their  own  sufferings  were  for- 
gotten when  they  reached  a  habitation  in  which  all 
the  peopje  were  starving  to  death.  They  had  ac- 
tually resigned  themselves  to  die,  and  were  not 
willing  to  be  disturbed.  A  little  warm  tea  roused 
them,  and  they  summoned  resolution  to  go  with 
the  party  to  the  next  station,  where  they  obtained 
a  supply  of  fish  from  peasants  almost  as  poor  as 
themselves. 

**  They  stopped  a  few  days  at  Sordak,  another 
poor  Russian  station,  and  proceeded  towards  the 
Kolyma.  The  first  yourte  they  came  to  was  oc- 
cupied by  noisy  children,  growling  dogs,  and,  worst 
of  all,  a  scolding  hostess.  Poor  Captain  Cochrane 
unluckily  hung  his  cap  and  gloves  to  dry  upon  the 
pegs  which  held  the  images  which  she  worshipped, 
and  the  woman  was  very  angry  and  furious,  till  the 


';f* 


m 


232 


•  IfORTIIERN  REGIONS. 


Cossack  I  to  pacify  her,  told  her  that  he  was  au 
English  priest,  and  pointed  to  his  long  beard  to 
confirm  this  fib  of  his.  From  this  time  he  always 
went  by  the  name  of  English  priest.     . 

*'  lie  now  reached  the  Kolyma ;  and  crossing  its 
noble  stream,  entered  Sredne  Kolymsk,  and  took 
possession  of  an  empty  house  in  the  town.  About 
one  hundred  people  form  the  population  of  the 
place,  and  they  are  supported  by  fish  from  the  ri- 
ver. The  people  came  and  threw  themselves  upon 
their  knees  before  the  supposed  priest,  for  his  bless- 
ing, and  brought  him  presents  of  sables,  which  he 
in  vain  begged  them  to  take  back.  To  return  a 
present  they  consider  a  great  insult. 

<*  He  left  his  faithful  Cossack  behind  him,  and, 
accompanied  by  a  poor  fellow,  followed  the  course 
of  the  Kolyma.  He  was  now  to  the  north  of  the 
Arctic  Circle,  but  had  not  lost  the  sight  of  the 
sun,  which  was  the  only  thing  that  cheered  his 
desolate  path. 

**  The  horse-track  now  was  at  an  end,  and  you 
must  fancy  my  traveller  in  a  kind  of  vehicle  drawn 
by  a  team  of  thirteen  dogs.  A  blanket  and  pil- 
low, besides  his  bear  skin,  formed  a  kind  of  bed 
inside,  which  was  covered  over  with  a  frame  of  oil- 
cloth. He  attempted  to  lie  down  in  this  bed,  but 
felt  so  dreadfully  suffocated,  that  he  took  kis  knife 
and  cut  his  way  out  of  it  in  a  great  passion,  and 
tossing  the  covering  into  the  snow,  he  exposed  his 
face  and  neck  to  the  air,  and  thus  proceeded.  He 
still  *  suffered  from  want  of  exercise,  and  at  last 
became  so  drowsy,  that  the  driver  had  great  dif- 
ficulty in  rousing  him  .from  this  dangerous  state 
of  stupefaction. 

**  He  was  carried  fifty-five  miles  by  the  same 
dogs,  and  afler  a  perilous  journej,  he  reached 


'» 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


233 


Nishney  Kolymsk  on  the  last  day  of  the  year. 
His  sufferings  had  been  great ;  for  notwithstanding 
the  care  of  Mr.  Minitsky,  he  was  worse  clad  than 
any  of  the  poorest  guides  or  attendants  ;  and  if  it 
had  not  been  for  the  providential  present  of  the 
knee-caps,  nothing  could  have  enabled  him  to 
reach  the  end  of  the  journey." 


t  ri 


I 

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4'V"    *^ 


S  1 1 


vfi" 


#■ 


if^ 


.';1 


CHAPTER  HI. 


*  *'  Captain  Cochrane  was  received  at  Nishney 
Kolymsk  by  Baron  Wrangel,  who  gave  him  a  room 
in  his  own  house ;  and  he  was  lucky  in  the  time  of 
his  arrival,  for  the  next  day  being  jiew  year's  day, 
he  was  overwhelmed  with  presents.  First,  while 
he  was  at  breakfast,  came  two  large  fish  about  two 
hundred  pounds  weight  each  ;  this  he  was  told  was 
for  his  winter's  store,  as  every  one  had  already 
laid  in  theirs,  and  it  could  not  be  supposed  that  he 
had  brought  any  with  him.  Next  came  a  leather 
frock,  to  be  worn  while  he  was  in  the  Kolyma.  It 
was  trimmed  with  sable  and  martin  fur.  Boots, 
trowsers,  shoes,  and  stockings,  were  added,  suffi- 
cient for  a  year's  wear,  besides  which  was  •  -oar's 
skin  for  his  bed,  a  leather  blanket  lined  with  hare's 
skin*  and  gloves  sent  him  by  the  ladies. 

"  Baron  Wrangel  was  preparin,<f  fo^  his  expe- 
dition to  ascertain  whether  ^be  continent  of  Asia 
joins  the  continent  of  Americ^i,  as  some  have  sup- 
posed. Captain  Cochrane  offered  his  services  to 
accompany  him,  but  they  could  not  be  accepted 

20* 


I 


'il 

I  ,'j 
''  ' 

ill'  1'' 


i', 


,'V, 


I;' 


55« 


if'     ^'vl 


is 


H*- 


234 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


because  he  war  a  foreigner,  and  had  not  procured 
special  permission  from  the  Emperor  of  Russia. 

"  He  spent  two  happy  months,  however,  in  this 
remote  corner  of  the  earth,  on  the  Tery  shores  of 
the  Frozen  Ocean." 

Uncle  Richard.  Come,  Tom ,  let  us  hear  how 
he  amused  himself;  I  may  get  some  new  ideas 
for  my  next  visit  to  the  Arctic  regions. 

Tom.  "  Then  I  must  mention  to  you,  uncle, 
the  ice  mountains,  which  is  in  fact  a  Russian 
amusement,  a  number  of  feasts,  many  interesting 
books  lent  him  by  Baron  Wrangel,  and,  what  in- 
terested him  most,  making  observations  relative 
to  the  country. 

**  Nishney  Kolymsk  is  rather  a  largo  town  for  ^ 
that  part  of  the  world,  and  has  four  hundred  inha- 
bitants.    The  want  of  grass  prevents  them  from 
feeding  more  than  two  cows,  and  a  few  horses, 
who  feed  upon  sttmted  trees,  bark,  and  moss.  Cos-  . 
sacks,  pedlars;  and  priests,  compose  the  populace ; 
the  latter  are  merchants  too,  and  are  more  indus-^ 
trious  in  trading  than  in  saying  their  prayers.  In 
summer  they  float  the  wood  down  the  K.olyma» 
build,  and  lay  in  stores  for  firing.     In  autumn  and  ^ 
spring,  they  fish,  and  shoot  birds.     The  women 
embrpider  all  the  articles  of  dress  and  assist  in 
fishing.     Farther  to  the  south  they  mind  the  cat- 
tle.    The  riches  of  the  people  consist  chiefly  in 
their  dogs,  of  which  there  are  about  eight  hundred 
in  the  town.     They  take  great  care  of  them,  jind 
for  six  months  in  the  year  allow  them  a  plentiful^ 
supply  of  fish:  about  ten  herrings  each  daily  is* 
their  portion  ;  and  th»  natives  must  be  in  a  very  # 
starving  condition  before  they  will  touch  any  of 
ihQse  fish  alotted  to  the  dogs. 

"  The  Kolyma  is  not  nearly  so  productive 


i? 


h  •:< 


I^ORTHERN   REGIONS. 


235 


IS 


u)  furs  as  it  used  to  be ;  but,  foxes  white,  blue,  and 
red,  are  still  met  with  on  the  shores  of  the  Icy 
Sea.  *  ^ 

^  "  There  are  two  very  curious  disorders  here, 
the  accounts  of  which  have  made  me  laugh  much. 
One  of  them  is  called  Imerachism,  and  does  not 
affect  the  health  of  a  person,  but  makes  him  do 
very  ludicrous  things.  An  Imerach  cannot  help 
doing  whatever  he  sees  the  person  doing  who  stands 
before  him.  He  flies  into  violent  passions,  or  fits 
of  laughter,  without  any  reason. 

"  A  dog-master,  who  was  an  Imerach,  once  saw 
his  team  of  dogs  attacked  by  a  white  bear ;  he  ran 
to  their  defence,  and  the  bear  seeing  him  come  up, 
reared  himself  upon  his  hind-legs,  and  began  cry- 
ing and  roaring  in  a  great  rage.  The  dog-master 
did  just  the  same  ;  the  bear  began  to  dance  about, 
the  dog-master  followed  his  example,  and  the  scene 
was  most  ludicrous,  though  very  dangerous,  till 
the  other  driver  came  up,  and  giving  the  bear  a 
blow  upon  the  nose,  secured  him." 

Uncle  Richard.  That  nose,  Tom,  I  suppose 
your  traveller  tells  you,  is  the  only  vulnerable  part 
of  the  bear  which  can  be  attacked  without  fire- 
arms;  ev^n  then  they  must  be  shot  through  the 
head  before  they  can  be  secured. 

Have  you  any  other  anecdote,  Tom,  of  this  cu- 
rious disorder  ? 

Tom.  There  were  two  old  ladies  both  afflicted 
with  this  disorder,  and  they  were  one  evening  sit- 
ting opposite  to  one  another  at  tea,  when  a  mis^- 
chievous  person  put  his  hand  behind  each  of  their 
backs  and  gently  bent  them  forwards.  The  two 
old  ladies  instantly  exchanged  cups  and  saucers 
with  one  another,  to  the  great  diversion  of  the 
company. 


& 


I 


Ji 


i! 


''•i  j' 


^i 


.111.'  i 

tfi 


■'•VI 

m 
111 


ifj' 


■I 

li 


I 


•  t 


'Mil 


■■  % 


:m 


NORTHEfRN   REGIONS: 


i«. 


"  Many  people  of  rank  have  been  banished 
from  Russia  to  this  remote  region,  and  the  pun- 
ishment must  have  been  a  most  severe  one — cut 
off  from  every  comfort,  as  well  as  from  friends 
and  fortune. 

"  In  the  end  of  February,  Baron  Wrartgel  left 
the  town,  and  with  his  party  proceeded  up  the 
Kolyma,  with  the  intention  of  tracing  the  shores  of 
the  Frozen  Ocean  as  far  as  the  Cast  Cape. 

'*  Captain  Cochrane  having  made  up  his  mind 
to  visit  the  fair  of  the  Tchuitchi,  and  from  thence 
to  cross  over  Behring's  Strait  into  North  America, 
set  off  a  few  days  after,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Ma- 
tuishkin  and  a  few  friends.  I  think  this  must  be 
considered  as  almost  his  first  entrance  among 
savages.  *    . 

**  The  fair  took  place  at  the  fortress,  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  hiiles  from  Nishney.  It  cora- 
menced  by  the  Russian  commissary  baptizing  two 
of  the  chiefs.  These  chiefs  and  their  followers 
afterwards  came  in  a  kind  of  procession,  dressed 
in  their  gayest  apparel,  seated  in  a  narte  drawn  by 
two  rein-deer,  about  thirty-five  pairs  of  them.— 
After  they  had  paraded  a  little,  the  priest  baptized 
other  men  and  women,  not  by  sprinkling  them  with 
water,  but  obliging  them  to  strip  and  plunge  three 
times  into  a  cauldron  of  ice-water.  The  long  hair 
of  the  women  became  surrounded  by  iciiiles.  To- 
bacco was  given  by  way  of  a  present  to  the  new 
converts,  who  like  their  reward  so  well,  that  they 
bate  been  known  to  go  over  and  over  again  to  be 
chri^ened.  The  commissary  then  declares  that 
the  fa^r  cannot  begin  till  he  has  received  a  tribute 
for  the^mperor  Alexander,  and  all  the  chiefs  cam©^^ 
forward  with  a  red  fox -skin.      The  priest  blesses 


■'-i^^' 


„    i: 


.  NORTHERN  REGIOr^S. 


237 


_i* 


them,  and  the  poor  people  are  quite  happy,  and 
very  soon  get  quite  drunk. 

"  The  commissary  then  introduced  the  subject 
of  Captain  Cochrane's  wish  to  travel  through  their 
country,  by  telHng  them  thut  he  was  come  from 
the  Emperor  of  Russia  to  accompany  them  through 
their  dominions  as  interpreter,  understanding  that 
two  strange  ships  had  arrived  off  their  coast,  with 
whom  they  wished  to  trade.  The  chief  replied, 
*We  want  no  interpreter,  and  will  take  none.' — 
This  was  rather  unpromising.  But  Captain  Coch- 
rane begged  that  they  might  be  told  that  it  could 
do  them  no  harm  to  allow  him  to  go  with  thenr, 
and  it  would  be  better  than  offending  the  great 
emperor.  Another  chief  ansv/ered,  that  if  the 
great  emperor  wished  to  send  interpreters  he 
would  doubtless  afford  to  pay  for  them.   »   % 

*'  In  fact  they  demanded  a  payment  of  several 
thousand  pounds  weight  of  tobacco,  which  you 
know,uncle^  our  poor  traveller  was  utterly  unable 
to  give.  Tkie  chiefs  then  agreed  that  he  must  be 
a  poor  emperor  who  would  not  give  such  a  present 
as  that,  and  that  Captain  Cochrane  must  be  a  piti* 
ful  interpreter  who  could  not  advance  it  himself; 
and  they  added,  sagaciously  enough,  *  We  doubt 
whether  your  friend  can  be  an  interpreter  from  the 
Emperor,  for  he  cannot  speak  the  Russian  lan- 
guage ;  and,  if  he  neither  speal<s  Tchucktchi  ov 
Russian,  of  what  use  can  he  be  to  us?" 
^  Unci.e  Richard.  Your  traveller  was  in  my 
bpinion  rightly  served,  for  I  am  a  plain  old  sailor, 
and  never  can  think  deception  or  falsehood  justi- 
fiable on  any  pretence  whatever ;  and  I  am  always 
pleased  when  the  plain  open  truth  appears  and 
puts  them  to  shame. 

*^  Thu3  foiled  in  his  wish  of  travelling  through 


If 


ii 

r 


1 


■'^)\i 


4 


1 


^. 


%« 


238 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


their  country,  Captain  Cochrane  determined  to 
see  all  that  he  could  of  this  singular  people.  He 
visited  their  camp,  which  was  a  few  miles  distant 
from  the  fortress.  It  consisted  of  three  large  and 
three  small  tents.  The  large  ones,  for  the  chiefs 
and  their  families,  were  horribly  dirty ;  but  the 
smaller  ones,  for  the  poorer  people,  were  clean 
and  comfortable.  Like  the  Esquimaux  huts,  they 
are  warmed  and  lighted  by  a  single  lamp,  and  the 
furniture  IS  still  more  simple.  A  rein-deer  skin, 
lined  with  white  fox's  fur,  is  their  bed,  while  an  axe, 
a  wooden  bowl,  and  a  few  spoons,  are  all  they 
need  for  their  simple  cookery. 

"  Our  traveller  and  his  companion  entered  the 
tent  of  a  toion,  or  chief,  who  with  his  wife  and 
daughter  were  all  naked.  They  receired  their 
visiters  hospitably,  however,and  cooked  them  some 
rein-deer  flesh,  while  their  guests  lolled  on  the  rein- 
deer bed.  The  want  of  air  in  the  tent  rendered 
the  smell  so  unpleasant  and  suffocating,  that  their 
visit  was  but  a  short  one.  The  toion  drove  them 
home  to  the  fortress  in  a  narte  drawn  by  two  rein- 
deer :  it  was  quite  a  neat  concern — leathern  thongs 
served  for  reins,  and  he  used  a  very  pretty  kind  of 
whip,  made  of  a  long  elastic  cane,  wiih  an  ivory 
knob  at  the  end,  formed  out  of  the  tooth  of  a  sea 
horse.  A  thump  on  the  back  with  this  knob  made 
the  animals  pace  away  famously.  But  1  am  pleas- 
ed to  say,  uncle,  that  these  savages  are  not  behind 
hand  with  yours  in  humanity  to  their  brutes.  They 
never  whip  either  their  rein-deer  or  their  dogs, 
without  it  is  absolutely  necessary,  and  treat  them 
quite  as  companions." 

Charles.  Ah,  what  a  good  lesson  might  these 
savages  afford  to  many  a  civilized  Englishman.  I 
saw  a  poor  horse  dragging  a  boat  along  the  canul 


*-^ 


esc 
I 

Inai 


*' 


-0: 


■  i 


.r\\ 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


2^9 


yesterday ;  its  bones  were  starting  through  its  skin, 
and  its  leader  was  lashing  it  so  unmercifully,  that 
Louisa  began  to  cry,  and  I  could  scarcely  help 
giving  the  man  a  good  blow  with  my  cane. 

Tom.  I  think  the  feeling  of  compassion  for 
brutes  is  carried  too  far,  if  possible,  among  these 
Tchuktchi,  who  even  consider  it  unmanly  to  ride, 
and  walk  great  distances  rather  than  fatigue  their 
animals.  They  only  allow  their  women  and  chil- 
dren to  ride  when  they  are  going  a  long  journey. 

**  On  returning  to  th*»  fortress,  they  found  the 
fair  going  on  briskly.  It  was  conducted  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner :  the  Tchuktchi  had  arranged 
themselves  in  a  semi-circle  opposite  the  fortress ; 
their  little  nartes  were  in  front,  covered  with  the 
furs  theywere  going  to  barter,  each  native  stand- 
ing by  his  own.  The  Russians  place  their  large 
bags  of  tobacco  in  the  middle  of  the  semi-circle, 
and  then  walk  round  examining  the  furs  and  in- 
quiring their  prices  by  means  of  interpreters. — 
The  natives  take  no  trouble  about  the  matter,  and 
leave  the  Russians  to  drag  their  heavy  bags  about 
for  hours,  before  they  will  agree  to  exchange.  Just 
before  the  signal  for  barter  is  given,  the  scene  is 
^  quite  amusing.  Russian  pedlars,  with  pots,  pans^ 
kettles,  knives,  spoons,  needles  and  scissors,  hang- 
ing rattling  about  them  in  aM  directions,  look  like 
May-day  sweeps.  Cossacks,  officers,  priests,  men, 
^yomen,  and  children,  are  all  thus  oddly  decked, 
to  which  a  few  of  the  richer  pedlars  add  bells, 
corals,  and  pipes. 

<*  In  exchange  for  these  small  articles  the  Rus- 
sians receive  rein-deer  flesh,  and  sea-  horses'  teeth. 
The  heavy  furs  of  wolves  and  bears  are  sold  at  a 
cheap  rate,  too,  because  they  are  troublesome  for 
the  natives  to  take  back,  or  expensive  for  the  Rus* 


r ., 


\) 


id 

i 


'W 


11 


sl 


<      '- 

1 


*  »■ 


"V 


240 


■    NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


sians  to  transport.  But  tobacco  was  the  article 
they  received  in  exchange  for  their  more  valua- 
ble furs,  such  as  red  and  white  and  blue  foxes,  ot- 
ters, and  martins,  for  a  few  articles  of  dress,  and 
for  ornaments  made  from  sea-horses'  teeth. — 
These,  however,  were  not  procured  from  their  own 
country,  but  came  from  the  Kargaules,  a  nation 
of  North  America,  some  few  of  whom  were  hke- 
wise  at  the  fair.  ** 

**  The  price  set  by  the  Russians  was  one  martin 
park,  or  frock  made  of  twenty  martin-skins,  and 
fifteen  red  foxes  for  every  hundred  weight  of  to- 
bacco ;  but  the  TchuKtchi  were  very  wary  in  ma- 
king a  bargain^end  the  Russians  were  obliged  to 
lower  their  price.  It  is  difficult  to  cheat  a  Tchukt- 
chi,  though  all  manner  of  ways  are  Jried ;  some- 
times by  wetting  the  tobacco  to  increase  its  weight. 
The  natives  never  buy  without  trying  the  tobacco 
by  squeezing  a  leaf  as  hard  as  possible  in  their 
hand.  If  the  leaf  leaves  any  moisture,  it  is  a  sign 
it  has  been  wet;  if  it  Keeps  in  the  shape  that  it 
has  been  squeezed  to  in  the  hand,  it  is  reckoned 
weak ;  but,  if  it  expands  quickly,  it  is  considered 
strong  and  good  tobacco. 

''On  the  third  day  of  the  fair  the  Russians 
brought  their  vodka  to  the  market,  and  the  wary 
Tchuktchi  produced  their  most  valuable  goods — 
the  brown  and  blacU  fox-skins,  but  they  sold  them 
very  dear,  and  took  numbers  back  again  with  them. 

"  This,  most  probably,  was  because  they  are  not 
able  to  carry  back  with  them  more  than  a  certain 
quantity  of  tobacco,  which  is  too  heavy  for  their 
rein-deer,  whom  they  ar^  so  unwilling  to  overloadi 
that  every  native  sets  off  home  with  forty  or  fifty 
pounds  of  tobacco  upon  his  own  back.      Their 


.  ^si 


iVORTIIERM  REGIONS. 


241 


journey  homewards  towards  the  Bay  of  St.  Law- 
rence, takes  them  seventy  or  ninety  days,  the  dis- 
tance being  near  five  hundred  miles." 

Charles.  Surely,  the  same  rein-deer  cannot 
drag  their  nartcs  all  that  distance  ? 

Tom.  No,  the  rein-deer  take  them  as  far  as 
the  river  Tchaon,  where  the  natives  have  left  their 
own,  which  they  again  take  possession  of,  and 
leave  the  others  there. 

"  This  fair  is  chiefly  to  supply  the  remote  tribes 
of  the  Tchuktchi,  the  Russian  pedlars,  and  mer- 
chants, trading  along  the  nearer  rivers  themselves. 
Each  tribe  has  a  chief  or  toion,  three  of  whom  came 
to  the  fair.  They  all  pay  a  small  tribute  to  the 
Emperor,  but  call  themselves  independent.  They 
are  distinct  from  one  another,  and  speak  a  differ- 
ent language,  and  all  so  difficult  to  pronounce,, 
that  the  interpreters  are  always  laid  up  with  sore 
throats  three  days  after  the  fair  has  begun. 

"  As  a  nation,  these  Tchuktchi  are  much  more 
intelligent  than  the  other  northern  Asiatics,  almost 
h\\  of  the  boys  reading  and  writing  pretty  well. 
They  are  informed  of  every  thing  that  takes  place 
at  Irkutsk  and  Yatusk  almost  as  soon  as  it  has 
happened,  and  they  talk  it  over  just  as  our  village 
politicians  do  the  gossip  of  the  day. 

*'  Captain  Cochrane,  by  means  of  interpreters, 
held  many  conversations  with  the  chiefs.  The^ 
told  him  tiiat  no  land  was  ever  seen  to  the  north 
of  their  country,  nothing  but  huge  mountains  of  ica 
for  ten  months  of  the  year.  That  during  Augusd 
and  September  the  ice  is  a  little  broken,  but  n<!| 
sufficiently  so  for  ships  to  pass  through.'* 

Uncle  Richard.  That  is  bad  news  fpr  us,  if 
levtlT  we  go  to  the  Arctic  regions  a^ain*  ^owevcr. 


[ '  I'i 


I  "II 


\w 


m 


,t 


U'i 


NORTHERN   REGIOXST. 


go  on,  Tom,  for  I  am  interested  with  your  account 
of  these  savages. 

Tom.  They  are  indeed  a  peculiar  race.  I  am 
going,  however,  to  close  my  account  of  them.  In 
some  respects  they  resemble  the  Esquimaux ;  and 
Captain  Cochrane  is  inclined  to  think  that  they 
are  of  American  rather  than  of  Asiatic  origin. 
They  are  a|ftricious,  but  honest ;  they  are  fond  of 
tea  ;  andilcr  for  tobacco,  they  eat  it,  they  smoke  it, 
they  chew  it  and  make  snuff  of  it.  They  are  a 
small  but  healthy  race,  and  their  complexions  arc 
fair.  Their  rein-deer  dresses  are  large  and  cum- 
bersome, but  clean.  I  must  not  omit  remarking, 
that  their  large  iron  kettle,  which  is  their  most  va- 
loable  piece  of  furniture,  is  called  *  Cookie,*  in  their 
,  language ;  and  it  is  possible  that  they  are  so  called 
in  remembrance  of  Capt.  Cook,  who  first  supphed 
them  with  these  kettles.  Another  singular  circum- 
stance is  this.  Large  armies  of  mice  are  occa- 
sionally seen  to  be  moving,  and  it  is  supposed  that 
they  migrate  somewhere,  but  where  it  is  not  known* 
All  the  clothes  of  the  Tchuktchi  are  embroidered 
with  mouse  skins. 

*'  Captain  Cochrane  now  prepared  to  return  to 
the  Kolyma.  He  took  a  grateful  leave  of  his  kind 
host,  who  was  of  the  Yukagir  nation,  and  who  had 
ihost  hospitably  entertained  him.  This  old  chief, 
jike  most  other  Asiatics,  was  a  capital  chess  play- 
er, while  the  Tchuktchi  laughed  at  him  for  pass- 
ing his  time  so  idly.  A  light  carriage  and  hungry 
dogs  brought  him  in  two  days  back  to  Mishney 
"Kolymsk,  where  he  met  Baron  Wrangel,  who  had 
already  returned  from  his  expedition  round  She- 
latfifkoy  Nos&." 


:>«3UTHERN  REGIONS. 


JJ43 


lounf 


CHAPTER  IV. 


*'  To  take  leave  of  Baron  Wrangel,  in  whom  he 
had  found  a  friend  and  brother,  was  very  melan- 
choly ;  but  Captain  Cochrane  was  anxious  to  be- 
gin his  travelling  before  the  ice  was  likely  to  break 
up.  At  the  latter  end  of  March,  therefore,  he  set 
out  in  a  narte,  drawn  by  thirteen  dogs,  accompa- 
nied by  a  Commissary,  Cossacks,  and  Yakuti.  He 
determined  to  travel  to  Okotsk,  by  the  direct  road, 
in  opposition  to  the  advice  of  every  one  at  Nish- 
ney,  who  warned  him  of  the  dangers  he  would 
certainly  encounter.  His  dogs  drew  him  eighty 
miles  the  first  day,  and  he  soon  reached  Sredne, 
where  he  was  greeted  affectionately  by  his  old 
Cossack  servant,  Peter  TrechekofF,  in  whose  house 
he  lodged.  It  was  a  pleasure  to  him  to  find  that 
the  good  character  he  had  given  this  man  had 
caused  him  to  be  made  a  Serjeant. 

"  He  spent  two  days  with  his  old  friend,  wait- 
ing for  a  new  Cossack,  who  had  been  appointed  to 
attend;  he,  poor  fellow,  being  newly  married, 
did  not  like  to  go  so  far  from  home,  and  leave  his 
young  wife,  just  as  the  busy  fishing  season  was 
about  to  begin.  He  was  obliged  to  submit^  how- 
ever, with  the  promise  of  being  allowed  to  return 
direct  to  the  Kolyma,  and  he  had  the  comfort  of 
knowing  that  his  wife  would  be  just  as  well  pro- 
vided with  her  store  of  fish  as  if  he  were  at  home 
to  catch  for  her.  Such  is  the  friendly  custom  of 
this  poor  place ! 

**  A  fall  into  a  snow  pit  was  their  first  adventure. 
Their  horses  scrambled  up  the  sides  of  the  pit  and 
ran  away,  l/saving  them  and  the  baggage  to  farecri? 


244 


^ORTIIERIV   REGIONS. 


well  as  they  could.  They  walked  on  to  the  next 
yourte,  which  w&j  about  ten  miles  off,  and  des- 
patched people  for  their  horses  and  baggage. 

**  While  this  was  going  on,  a  shamanct  or  sor- 
cerer, afforded  abundant  amusement  to  Captain 
Cochrane.  A  short  coat,  ornamented  with  little 
bits  of  iron,  the  size  of  a  pen-knife  blade,  embroi- 
dered boots,  cap,  and  gloves,  was  the  peculiar  dress 
he  wore.  He  seated  himself  near  the  sick  person 
whom  he  was  going  to  cure,  smoked  a  pipe,  then 
struck  his  tambourine,  and  sung  a  most  melancholy 
song.  Then  he  began  to  jump  about ;  and  he 
roared  and  screamed  so  horribly,  and  made  such 
dreadful  faces,  that  he  had  every  appearance  of 
being  a  madman.  He  next  drew  his  knife,  and 
seemed  to  plunge  it  into  his  body,  but  no  blood  ap- 
peared. The  fact  is,  the  shamanes  are  enabled, 
from  habit,  to  draw  in  that  part  of  the  stomach,  in 
which  it  appears  as  if  the  knife  were  entering^ 
He  then  dismissed  the  party  assembled  to  hear  him 
cast  the  demon  out  of  the  sick  man's  body,  and 
told  them  to  come  the  next  day,  for  that  the  evil 
one  would  not  obey  until  a  fat  mare  had  been  sa- 
crificed to  him." 

Uncle  Richard.  The  blindness  and  weak- 
ness of  the  people  in  being  deceived  by  such  im- 
l^ostors  is  most  wonderful. 

Tom.  These  sorcerers  are  even  more  impudent 
than  your  old  friend,  uncle ;  for  they  profess  not- 
only  to  cure  diseases,  but  to  change  the  weather, 
give  success  m  hunting,  and  find  stolen  things. 

"  Verchney  Trolymsk,  still  on  the  river  Koly-^ 
ma,  was  the  next  village,  and  was  two  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  from  Sredne  :  here,  however,  tho 
travellers  allowed  themselves  only  a  day's  rest,  ani 
again  set  forth  over  dreary  and  desolate  wild».. 


KOIlTBIiarj  REGlOi\S. 


•^ 


After  crossing  a  mountainous  pass,  the  country  on 
one  side  became  more  luxuriant,  and  our  travelleriS 
were  supplied  with  food  in  a  manner  quite  original. 
The  country  was  full  of  partridges  and  hares,  and 
the  wandering  Yakuti  had  set  up  multitudes  of 
traps  for  the  benefit  of  other  travellers,  this  condi* 
tion  being  understood,  that  they  should  set  the 
trap  in  their  turn.  It  consists  of  a  log  of  wood, 
supported  by  a  little  wooden  fork.  The  partridges^ 
touch  this  fork,  and  the  log  instantly  falls  upon 
them  and  crushes  them. 

"  When  this  charitable  supply  was  at  an  end, 
the  Cossack  suffered  much  from  hunger,  not  be- 
ing able  to  partake  of  horses'  flesh,  and  his  guide 
being  almost  blind,  thrir  journey  was  not  a  very 
merry  one  ;  the  snow  was  deep  and  soft,  and  the 
scene  most  dismal.  Not  a  blade  of  grass  or  moss 
for  the  eye  to  rest  upon. 

"  The  scenery  became  very  magnificent  as  they 
approached  the  Lake  Boulouktak ;  but  the  poor 
home-sick  Cossack  became  much  worse ;  and  af- 
ter staying  to  nurse  him  five  days  at  a  yourte.  Cap- 
tain Cochrane  was  forced  to  proceed  without  him, 
taking  in  his  stead  a  Yakut,  a  stupid,  gluttonous, 
lazy  fellow,  six  feet  high.  With  this  sorry  com- 
panion he  traversed  the  mountainous  paths  leading 
to  the^  river  Omekou,  but  they  soon  got  bewil- 
dered ;  and  having  ascended  a  steep  and  slippery 
rock,  and  slid  down  a  precipice  a  hundred  feet 
high,  they  would  soon  have  been  lost  if  the  sick 
Cossack  had  not  reached  them  just  at  this  time, 
and  led  them  into  the  right  [>ath. 

**  In  this  desolate  place,  however,  they  were  ojbli-. 
ged  to  pass  the  night  after  supping  upon  horse  flesh ; 
but  when  morning  came,  the  grand  puzzle  waSj  kow' 

31* 


m 


M 


i:  I 


'^46^ 


NORTHERN  REGIOWS. 


to  ascend  ilic  mountain.     It  wasr  so  slippery  that 
the  Cossack  and  himself  were  obliged  to  creep  up 
the  sides,  cutting  and  hacking  the  rce  withhatchets^ 
to  get  some  kind  of  footing.     Then  they  made  a 
long  string  of  leathern  thongs,  and  dragging  up  tho 
baggage,  let  it  down  the  opposite  side.     But  how 
to  get  their  horses  up,  they  could  not  devise.  Thc^ 
poor  creatures,  accustomed  to  aU  manner  of  dan- 
gerous  travelling,  were  very  tame  and  tractable^ 
and  with  hard  labour  got  to  the  middle  of  tho  as-^ 
cent,  but  they  could  get  no  farther,  the  fatigue  was 
too  great,  and  they  were  forced  down  again,  and 
reached  the  bottom  in  a  miserable  state.     The  si- 
tuation of  the  whole  party  was  terrible,  they  had 
been  without  frre,  and  the  horses  without  food  for 
two  days,  and  the  greedy  Yakut  grumbled  at   his 
hard  work  and  poor  fare,  not  having  been  allow- 
ed more  than  twenty  pounds  of  meat  a  day. 

"  As  their  luggage  and  bedding  had  been  re- 
moved, they  passed  the  night  in  a  wretched  state > 
The  two  next  days  they  succeeded  in  passing  over 
the  horses  they  wished  to  take  with  them,  and  kill- 
iag  one  for  food,  they  again  started.  But  they  had 
Ipst  five  fine  travelling  days,  and  they  paid  dear 
tbr  this  unlucky  accident. 

"  The  weather  was  now  becoming  mild  an<* 
pleasant,  and  the  country  often  abounded  with 
game,  but  the  little  rivers  were  breaking  up.  and 
they  were  often  obliged  to  wade  through  themv 
Their  Yakut  giant,  whothought  only  of  eating,  wa& 
t^ecome  very  careless  and  saucy,  and  the  Cossack 
was  forced  to  bring  him  back  to  subjection  by  a 
good  flogging.  They  left  him  at  last,  and  travel^ 
ling  as  fast  as  possible,  soon  came  to  the  beautiful 
valfey  ot^Q  OmekojiywheTeja  Yakut  prince  g^i> 


7 


iH 


as- 


I  • 


III 


ti 


'-^^ 


;.t:  V  :--■., -vi*' 


-*»* 


i 


s, 


yoaTEERiV  iiEGro?{s. 


24^ 


ihein  hal^a  rein-deer,  and,  what  was  the  greatest 
treat  to  Captain  Cochrane,  tea  and  milk. 

*^  Two  or  three  of  these  princes  accompanied 
him  to  the  yourte  of  the  Yakut  Prince  of  Omekon, 
Peter  Gotossop,  where  the  hospitable  reception  he 
met  with,  and  his  bed  of  rein-deer  skins,  rewarded 
liim  for  his  sufferings  and  toils. 

"  The  rich  valley  of  the  Omekon  is  filled  with 
(lattle  and  horses,  the  latter  of  which  are  so  much 
prized  by  the  Yakuti,  that  they  will  not  let  them 
be  loaded,  scarcely  ridden  on ;  in  fact,  they  are  al- 
most kept  for  show.  The  beautiful  scenery,  the 
clean  yourtes,  with  their  hospitable  inhabitants, 
the  good  fare,  and  happy  look  of  this  valley,  might 
Well  have  tempted  our  weary  traveller  to  have  re*- 
mained  there,  and  the  natives  united  their  warm 
persuasions  to  prevent  him  from  continuing  his 
perilous  journey. 

*'  But  he  was  resolute,  and  he  set  out  in  search 
of  the  Tongousians,  from  whom  he  hoped  to  get 
a  supply  of  rein-deer.  He  fell  in  with  them  at 
last,  and  sending  a  herald  to  their  chief.  Prince 
Shoumieloff,  he  was  received  by  him  in  full  statea 
His  dress  was  a  black  suit  of  velvet ^^en,  a  cocked 
hat,  a  sword,  with  medals  in  abundance  hanging 
fi'om  his  neok.  These  empty  honours  had  been 
sent  him  in  exchange  for  his  property.  Formerly 
he  was  rich,  and  called  many  thousands  of  rein^- 
deer  his  own;  now  he  is  poor  and  has  but  a  few 
hundred.  He  is  obliged  to  live  upon  fish,  which 
the  rein-deer  Tongousian  considers  a  great  hard« 
^hip. 

''  After  much  persuasion  and  a  few  glasses  o^- 
^Vodka,  he  agreed  to  provide  Captain  Cochrane; 
with  rein-deer  to  take  him  to  Okot^k;  ^lAhfi^Sict 
lie  v>mhi  QKTCiomQaTiy  him  hiofi^S^ 


tl 


Hl 


)  ii 


/ 


:i4tf 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


*'  The  rein-deer  are  caught  as  the  IVIexicani^ 
Catch  their  bullocks.  A  man  mounted  on  a  well 
trained  rein-deer,  takes  in  his  hands  a  long  line 
formed  into  a  noose  at  the  end.  He  gallops  quick- 
ly past  the  wild  r^in-deer,  throws  the  noosft  ovef 
its  horns,  and  thus  secures  him. 

"  With  fifty  fine  rein-deer  and  the  prince  as  hi^ 
guide,  they  left  the  valley,  but  the  snow  rapidly 
melting,  made  the  travelling  so  fatiguing,  that 
many  of  the  poor  rein-deer  died  of  fatigue.  The 
prince  was  very  angry,  and  threatened  to  leave  the 
party.  The  difficulty  of  passing  the  mountains 
increased,  more  rein-deer  died,  and  the  others 
were  weak  and  exhausted.  In  fact,  after  some 
few  quarrels  with  the  prince,  who  attempted  to 
cheat  him  in  no  very  princely  manner,  they  all 
returned  to  the  Omekon,  and  Captain  Cochrane 
was  obliged  to  procure  horses  to  take  him  on 
towards  Okotsk.  v.       .. 

"  After  a  long  and  dangerous  journey  they 
reached  the  ford  over  the  Okota  river.  The 
stream  was  about  twenty  yards  across,  the  horses 
and  baggage  passed  in  safety  to  the  opposite  shore, 
and  as  they  were  puzzled  how  to  get  a  canoe  which 
was  fastened  there,  he  fastened  a  rope  round  his 
body  and  swam  over,  and  returned  with  it,  to  the 
great  gratitude  of  his  companions. 

**  Hunger  and  fatigue  were  their  portion  for 
many  days  ;  sometimes  they  had  a  partridge  be- 
tween four  ;  at  others,  only  a  few  berries.  They 
set  to  work,  and  felled  timber  to  construct  a  raft ; 
upon  this  they  embarked  with  their  baggage. 

**  This  raft  was  so  ingenious,  that  it  deserves 
notice*  About  ten  logs  of  trees  fifteen  feet  long 
coaiposed  the  body  of  it }  they  were  crossed  by  five 
others,  and  two  to  make  a  seat  for  the  person  who 
took  care  of  the  baggage.   The  logs  were  fasjten^ 


'i^ 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


24d 


cO  together  by  leather  thongs,  and  appeared  strong 
enough  to  encounter  a  good  thump.  Other  logs 
were  made  into  oars  to  steer  with,  the  Captain 
himself  being  steersman.  They  had  some  difficulty 
in  hauling  this  concern  into  the  middle  of  the 
stream,  but  when  once  it  was  so,  it  floated  along 
so  rapidly,  that  they  were  almost  giddy  when  they 
passed  the  trees  and  rocks.  No  accident  however 
happened,  and  they  were  in  hopes  of  getting  to 
Okotsk  to  breakfast,  when  lo  !  on  turning  a  cor- 
ner, a  large  tree  growing  out  into  the  river,  with 
its  branches  jutting  out  in  all  directions,  threaten- 
ed them  with  certain  wreck.  The  Cossack  and 
Yakut  crossed  themselves.  Captain  Cochrane 
quietly  watched :  they  struck,  and  the  raft  reboun- 
ded and  was  upset.  The  two  men,  however,  were 
able  to  keep  hold  of  it,  and  it  drifted  them  in  safety 
down  the  stream  to  an  island.  Captain  Cochrane 
clung  to  a  branch  of  the  tree,  his  body  under  wa- 
ter, head  and  hands  only  above.  He  made  an  ef- 
fort and  sprang  upon  the  top  ot  the  tree,  the  branch 
broke  and  he  fell  down  into  the  water,  and  was 
likewise  carried  by  the  current  to  the  island. 

*'  Here  then  they  were  all  safely  landed,  but  in 
a  most  terrible  plight,  separated  by  a  rolling  chan- 
nel from  the  side  of  the  river  they  were  anxious 
to  reach,  without  any  means  of  reaching  it." 

Uncle  Richard.  Necessity  is  the  mother  of 
invention,  and  sailors  have  always  a  thousand 
resources,  which  you  land-people  who  live  in  quiet 
ease  at  home,  have  no  idea  of.  I  have  no  doubt 
your  traveller  hit  upon  some  very  ingenious  mode 
of  extricating  himself,  Torn. 

Tom.  You  shall  hear.  He  first  of  all  got  some 
ilry  clothes,  and  warmed  himself  by  exercise.-— 
Then  to  save  tho  baggage  and  raft  was  his  next 


I 


i>50 


NORTHERN  REaiONS. 


■ra 


mi 


] !  .  ' 


km 


care,  aud  in  that  he  succeeded.  Night  was  ap^ 
proaching,  and  he  felt  sure  that  if  they  remained 
in  the  island  they  might  be  washed  over,  nor  could 
he  venture  to  launch  the  raft  in  the  dark.  He 
walked  to  the  end  of  the  island,  and  there  he  found 
a  tree  which  had  fallen  from  the  river  side, 
nearly  half  way  across  the  narrowest  part  of  the 
stream.  The  current  was  so  strong,  between  the 
island  and  the  tree,  that  it  would  have  been  mad- 
ness to  have  attempted  to  swim,  and  therefore  he 
resolved  to  build  a  bridge. 

Charles.  A  bridge,  Tom,  why  how  could  he 
build  a  bridge  in  one  day,  without  stones,  bricks, 
or  mortar  ?  : 

Tom.  He  did  though,  and  you  shall  hear  how 
lie  managed  it.  He  fetched  the  logs  which  re- 
mained from  the  broken  raft  and  his  baggage  to 
the  spot  opposite  the  tree.  Four  of  his  heaviest 
luggage  bags  he  fastened  together,  and  put  them 
into  the  water  ;  to  these  he  fastened  two  logs, 
which  did  not  however  reach  the  tree.  He  walked 
along  this  bridge  carrying  with  him  two  other  logs 
which  he  fastened  to  the  end.  One  more  log 
completed  his  bridge,  which  now  reached  the  tree 
Over  this  slender  bridge  the  Cossack  followed  hwi, 
and  they  both  reached  the  opposite  shore  in  safety  : 
nothing,  however,  could  induce  the  Yakut  to  trust 
his  body  upon  it. 

"  Captain  Cochrane  therefore  returned  to  him, 
and  cutting  up  a  leather  bag,  he  made  a  long  line, 
one  end  of  which  he  threw  over  the  river  to  the 
Cossack,  and  fastened  the  other  to  the  island.  He 
then  collected  his  logs  and  made  them  into  a  small 
raft,  whichj  having  a  line  fast  to  each  end  of  it,  the 
Yakut  was  drawn  sifely  over  by  the  Cossack,  and 


•%f 


NORTHERN  REOION'S. 


^5J 


ty  means  of  the  other  line,  Captain  Cochrane 
drew  it  back  in  order  to  follow. 

**  In  crossing  over  himself,  however,  the  raft 
upset,  and  he  got  a  good  ducking.  He  managed 
to  keep  hold  of  the  raft  and  was  dragged  out,  but 
in  so  cold  a  state,  that  his  clothes  resembled  a 
coat  of  ice. 

**  All  this  was  accomplished  by  ten  o'clock  at 
night,  and  you  may  suppose  the  piiity  were  quite 
cheery,  when,  by  means  of  flint  and  steel,  they  had 
the  benefit  of  a  blazing  fire.  But  in  fact  there  was 
now  almost  as  much  danger  of  being  burnt  to  death 
as  there  had  been  of  their  starving,  for  the  woods 
and  the  grass  were  so  dry,  that  the  flames  spread 
till  the  whole  forest  was  in  a  blaze.  • 

"  This  immense  fire  however  had  one  good  ef- 
fect, which  was  to  tempt  the  other  Yakut  guide  to 
swim  his  horses  over  the  rivev  to  join  the  party, 
which  was  a  most  seasonable  arrival,  as,  from  the 
great  scarcity  of  food,  the  Yakut;  wo'jld  have  been 
unable  to  return  to  their  own  cou?itry  without. 

**  They  spent  the  night  in  drying  their  clothes, 
and  preparing  for  their  next  day's  journey,  and 
at  length,  after  being  five  days  v»  ith  no  food  hut  a 
few  berries,  they  reached  the  aboflc  of  a  Yakut 
prince,  in  a  small  island  of  the  Okota,  from  whom 
they  got  a  small  supply  of  horse  flesh,  which  they 
now  considered  a  dainty. 

"  Reentered  Okotsk  «^  j^it  morning,  where  hik; 
haggard  appearance,  hi&  iVo^t-bitten  face,  long  red 
beard,  and  long  hair,  excited  the  astonishment  and 
pity  of  all  who  saw  him.  He  was  leceived  with 
Idndness  by  the  chief.  Captain  Ushinky,  and  felt 
a  degree  of  pride  at  having  at  length,  after  so  many 
perils  and  escapes,  reached  ♦he  s^^orcj?  of  the  Norfb 
Pacific  Ocean. 


252 


NORTHERN  REGIONS^i 


/ 


-S.  ,:■ 


'*  Captain  Ushinky  told  him  that  he  had  bceii 
long  expected,  at  Okotsk,  but  that  when  he  had 
heard  that  he  was  gone  from  Yakutsk  to  the  Koly- 
ma, he  gave  him  up  for  lost." 

Uncle  Richard.  No  wonder,  I  think ;  and 
yet  1  am  inclined  to  think,  that  where  a  man  has 
strength  of  body,  foresight  and  a  quick  invention, 
he  may  travel  with  greater  safety  in  any  country 
than  is  generally  imap^ined. 

Tom.  At  Okotsk,  Captain  Cochrane  formed  the 
resolution  of  returning  to  Europe,  after  he  had  first 
visited  Kaipsc'iatka  ;  but  you  must  not  imagine, 
uncle,  tbar  it  was  a  fear  of  the  difficulties  or  dari- 
gers  of  th«  enterprize  that  brought  him  to  thiisde- 
termkiatijii.  These  were  his  reasons. 

'' Iii  the  (irst  place  there  was  no  ship  going 
froH  (  O^.oisJi  to  America  during  the  course  of  that 
yeai  5  iii  th<  second,  the  Russian  Government  had 
fitted  out  two  expeditions,  in  neither  of  which 
he  was  allowed  to  go,  for  the  purpose  of  making 
similar  discoveries  to  what  he  had  proposed  to 
himself.  He  was  ignorant  of  these  expeditions 
when  he  set  out,  but  they  rendered  his  owa  use- 
less. ■'    ■      ■'  -*'-  -  -■«  i^ 

"Having  thus  arranged. his  future  plans,  \i6 

got  himself  respectabiy  dressed  in  blue  trowsers 

^and  great  coat,  and  with  his  beard  and  hair  somc- 

'what  lessened,  he  once  more  looked  like  a  human 

being. 

*'  Okotsk  is  a  small  town,  ami  having  lately  been 
removed  from  the  sea  shore,  is  scarcely  finished ; 
it  will  be  a  neat  place  when  completed,  and  is  a 
ddpot  for  the  American  trading  company.  There 
is  a  great  deal  of  shipping  going  on,  and  saltworks 
-at  which  the  convicts  labour.  There  is  little  sccie* 
ty  In  flic  p?qc(je,  but  it  is  Tapidly  improviqg  Und^ 


Av- 


f: 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


2o3 


Cuptalii  Ushinsky,  who  studies  to  improve  the 
conditions  of  the  natives,  and  to  do  away  the  old 
^nd  barbarous  customs  of  the  place." 


.if,  i-   -fii..? 


OlIAPTEIl  V. 


■j^. 


V  .■  V-' J 


"And  now,  uncle,  what  have  you  to  say  to  a 
year  in  Kamschatka,  among  the  refuse  of  Russia ; 
pick-pockets,  thieves,  and  criminals  of  all  kinds, 
who  are  banished  from  Russia  to  this  second 
Botany  Bay  f" 

"  Captain  Cochrane  was  too  restless  and  ad- 
venturous to  stay  long  in  so  dull  a  place  as  Okotsk, 
and  after  a  safe  voyage  of  fourteen  days,  reached 
the  harbour  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul's  on  the 
south-east  coast  of  the  long  peninsula  of  Kams- 
chatka. 

"Here  he  had  the  delight  of  meeting  some  of 
his  own  country  people,  and  passed  two  months 
most  hcppily.  Here,  too,  he  had  leisure  to  fall  in 
love !" 

Uncle  Richard.  And  was  the  lady  aKams- 
chadale  f 

TOxV.  Yes,  indeed,  uncle,  and  it  ended  in 
marriage,  but  not  till  he  made  the  tour  of 
}^amschatka,  through  which  you  must  follow  him, 
pr  at  least  you  must  listen  to  the  observations  he 
made,  for  as  at  this  time  he  travelled  with  a  com- 
iprtable  set-out  of  dogs  and  attendants  through  a 
country,  wild  indeed,  but  sprinkled  with  Russians, 
#ie  had  not  many  adventures  to  relate. 

"Throughout  the  whole  of  the  peninsula  of 


i 


^' 


254 


NORTHERN  REGIONS. 


Kamscbatka  runs  a  mngnificent  chain  of  mouti- 
tains.  It  is  intercepted  too  by  rivers  and  lakes, 
which  are  impassable  except  in  winter,  and  pre- 
vent the  natives  from  holding  any  communication 
with  one  another.  Winter  occupies  one  half  the 
year,  though  these  are  mild  compared  with  those 
in  Siberia.  In  summer  heavy  rains  and  fogs 
make  it  very  unpleasant,  and,  though  plenty  of 
wood,  there  is  but  little  cultivation. 

**  Their  furs  are  the  greatest  riches  the  Kams- 
chadales  can  boast  of,  and  next  to  these  their  dogs, 
who  do  all  the  work  that  our  useful  horses  do  for 
us.  They  are  rough-looking,  but  most  sagacious 
animals,  resembling  a  common  house  dog.  They 
have  abundance  of  game ;  and  fish  and  whales, 
which  have  been  killed  by  the  sword-fish,  for  the 
sake  as  is  supposed  of  their  tongue,  are  found  dead 
upon  their  shores. 

**  The  natives  live  in  neat  Russian  villages,  and 
have  mostly  been  baptized.  They  are  still  drunk- 
en and  servile,  though  good-natured,  and  striking- 
ly hospitable.  In  winter  they  keep  to  their  old  fur 
clothing,  but  in  summer  they  dress  in  nankeens, 
and  most  of  them  wear  a  shirt.  The  women  wear 
a  Russian  head-dress:  and  in  fact,  being  supplied 
v#ith  every  thing  they  can  want  by  the  Russian 
pedlars,  they  now  live  just  like  Russian  peasants. 
But  still  they  are  improvident  to  a  degree,  and  will 
part  with  their  most  valuable  furs  for  a  glass  of 
spi/its,  and  place  the  same  reliance  now  upon  their 
priests,  which  they  formerly  did  upon  their  sor- 
cerers. 

"  The  present  chief,  Captain  Rickord,  is  doing 
much  for  the  comfort  and  welfare  of  the  colony, 
and  some  future  goveriior  will,  perhaps,  rescue 
these  poor  fellows  from  their  servile  state. 


NORTHERN   REGIONS. 


255 


^'  After  a  tedious  and  unsatisfactory  journey, 
Captain  Cochrane  returned  to  St.  Peter's  and  St. 
PauPs,  where  his  marriage  was  soon  after  solem- 
nized, with  much  greater  parade  than  if  it  had 
taken  place  in  England ;  and  added  to  his  many 
singular  adventures,  it  was  not  the  least,  that  he 
should  be  the  first  Englishman  who  had  married  a 
Kamschadale,  and  his  wife  should  be  the  first  Kam- 
schadale  female  who  had  ever  visited  England. 

"  At  Okotsk  they  made  preparations  for  a  six* 
weeks' journey  to  Yakutsk,  and  joined  a  caravan 
of  a  hundred  horses.  His  wife  had  never  seen  a 
horse  before  in  her  life,  and  was  dreadfully  fright- 
ened at  first  mounting  one.  The  dangers  she  had 
to  encounter  were  in  fact  very  great.  She  was 
thrown  from  her  horse  on  the  banks  of  the  Urak 
River,  and  lay  without  speaking  for  twelve  hours. 
There  were  six  ladies  in  the  caravan,  which  moved 
but  slowly  along;  and  the  fatigue  of  the  journey 
was  such  that  many  horses  died.  This  grieved 
the  Yaknti  guides  more  than  their  own  sufferings. 
Out  of  thirteen  for  his  own  use,  Captain  Cochrane 
only  saved  one  horse,  and  was  obliged  to  supply 
their  places  with  oxen. 

"  After  this  terrible  journey,  they  reached  Ya- 
kutsk on  the  1st  of  October. 

"  The  Yakuti  people  are  of  Tartar  origin,  and 
of  a  light  copper  complexion.  They  are  terrible 
gluttons,  and  live  mostly  upon  horse-fiesh,  breeding 
vast  quantities  of  those  animals  in  their  pastures. 
The  poorer  kind  dress  in  horse  skins,  the  richer 
in  those  of  rein-deer.  Their  yourtes  are  formed 
of  wooden  planks  filled  up  with  grass,  errth,  and 
dung,  and  blocks  of  transparent  ice  serve  as  win- 
dows. The  fire-place  is  in  the  centre,  and  is 
formed  by  sticks  pr<|ipcd  up.     Each  family  has  a 


256 


NORTHERS  REGrONS. 


-^ 


I 


separate  hut,  which,  however,  is  strongly  scented 
from  the  cow-house,  which  always  joins  the  yourte. 
They  have  a  much  greater  variety  of  kitchen 
utensils  than  the  other  Asiatic  savages  ;  and  the 
richer  ones  use  a  tea-urn  ;  but  none  of  them  ever 
use  plates,  but  eat  in  the  Esquimaux  fashion,  fill- 
ing their  mouths  quite  full,  and  then  cutting  off 
the  piece  of  meat  close  to  their  mouths.  They 
drink  warm  melted  butter  to  jfinish  their  meal, 
and  smoke  a  pipe  of  tobaccD  by  way  of  dessert. 

**They  bade  adieu  to  Lena  River,  on  whose 
course,  which  is  three  thousand  miles,  there  arc 
but  two  towns  situated,  and  came  to  Irkutsk,  where 
they  made  a  long  stay,  enjoying  their  first  taste  of 
good  society.  From  this  place  Captain  Cochrane 
made  a  tour  to  the  precincts  of  the  Chinese  em- 
pire, but  I  do  not  think,  uncle,  that  he  saw  any 
thing  of  interest  besides  what  1  related  to  you  whei; 
he  was  there  before.  He  returned  to  Irkutsk,  and 
from  thence  pursued  his  former  route  to  lomsk, 
Tobolsk,  Kougour,  Perme,  and  Kazan.  From 
thence  he  entered  RussiiT',  not  as  he  had  left  it,  on 
foot  and  alone,  but  travelling  comfortably,  in  a 
cart  suitable  to  the  country  he  was  in,  and  with 
his  wife.  He  reached  Moscow,  put  up  at  the 
London  Hotel,  and  had  leisure  to  look  about  him 
and  enjoy  himself. 

Uncle  Richard.  Indeed,  Tom,  your  pedes- 
trian traveller  ends  his  pilgrimage  most  glorious- 
ly, and  at  all  events  has  brought  back  more  wealtfe. 
tJfeian  he  took  with  him.  • 


HIE  END. 


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